After Hurricane Florence triggered widespread flooding throughout North Carolina in September 2018, a number of waterlogged communities had been tormented by swarms of nickel-size mosquitoes. Along with being larger than peculiar mosquitoes, these biting bugs had been noticeably extra aggressive. They hatched en masse from eggs that had lain dormant within the soil — some for so long as two years — earlier than being roused by the deluge.

The outbreak made nationwide information, however floodwater mosquitoes are a typical nuisance in low-lying areas all through the state. Earlier this summer season, Tropical Storm Debby triggered an emergence of the bugs in Brunswick and New Hanover counties. Hurricane Helene may trigger one other hatchfest.

Present forecasts from the Nationwide Climate Service point out that a lot of central and western North Carolina is vulnerable to “extreme rainfall resulting in rapid-onset flooding” on Friday, creating ultimate situations for floodwater mosquitoes. Michael Reiskind || ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.

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