By Joanna Putman
Police1
ATLANTA — Billions of cicadas are beginning to emerge in the southeast, bringing with them a noise that has prompted calls to law enforcement agencies from concerned citizens mistaking their sounds for alarms, WSBTV reported.
The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina posted a message on Facebook advising the public not to call the police over noises that may sound like “a siren, or a whine, or a roar,” which are just the sounds of cicadas, according to the report.
These insects, which are harmless and spend most of their lives underground, emerge when the soil temperature hits 64 degrees. The noise they produce can be overwhelming, reaching up to 107 decibels—equivalent to the sound of a lawn mower.
“Literally in somebody’s yard there are thousands and thousands of them all singing to attract a mate at the same time,” University of North Georgia biology professor Evan Lampert told WSBTV.
Cicadas are most active from dawn until dusk and are particularly noticeable from mid-May through June, according to the report. The intensity of their chorus can make outdoor conversations difficult.
“It’s deafening. Whether you’re in the yard, on the deck -- upper or lower -- you just have to scream above them,” a Georgia resident told WSBTV.
This year is notable because two broods of cicadas are emerging simultaneously for the first time in over 200 years, a phenomenon not expected to occur again until 2245. The southeast is experiencing the emergence of the 13-year brood, also known as the Great Southern Brood, which last appeared in 2011 and is the largest group.
These cicadas are expected to fully emerge around May 12.