No, that sound roaring right outside your door, invading your dreams, and altogether permeating every move you make is not the latest sign that humanity’s determined march toward death has evolved into a full-fledged sprint. It’s just the cicadas.
The sheer volume of the insects, however, has some convinced that something cop-worthy is transpiring. In a recent statement shared by the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, Newberry residents were given a reminder that the "annoying" noise is not a cause for concern, nor should it continue to lead to them apparently being inundated with calls.
"We have had several calls about a noise in the air that sounds like a siren, or a whine, or a roar," the department said Tuesday. "The sound is cicadas. Cicadas are a super family of insects that appear each spring. The nymphs have lived underground for 13-17 years and now this time they are hatching. Although to some, the noise is annoying, they pose no danger to humans or pets. Unfortunately it is the sounds of nature."
The Associated Press first reported on the Newberry confusion, as seen here.
South Carolina, per Rachel Dotson for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, is one of several states set to be impacted this month and next by the brood XIX batch of cicadas. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia are also affected.
Meanwhile, cicadas of the brood XIII variety are set to start popping up in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin in May.
