Swarms of wasps stirred up by flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene have prompted US health officials to stock up on allergy medication.
The search for survivors and victims has entered its second week after the deadliest storm the US has seen since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
At least 215 people have been killed as communities from Florida’s Gulf Coast to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia struggle to recover.
Dominick Gucciardo walks to his home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Pensacola, North Carolina. Pic: AP
As well as people’s homes, the rain and floodwater destroyed the nests of wasps and bees.
Officials have stocked up on allergy medications like Benadryl and EpiPens to help those who may get stung, Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports.
“We are actively working to ensure Benadryl and epinephrine are readily available in western North Carolina for those who may be allergic or have been stung,” Summer Tonizzo, a press assistant at the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, told NBC News.
She said it was normal for the wasps to be disturbed after a hurricane.
Tarren Pruitt, 42, a registered nurse in West Jefferson, North Carolina, also told NBC that since the hurricane, she has noticed more wasps and heard reports of workers getting stung while trying to restore power.
Chris Hayes, an extension associate in urban entomology at North Carolina State University, said wasps “tend to get more aggressive this time of year” anyway as food becomes scarcer and the weather causes population numbers to dwindle.
That, alongside the impact of the storm, aggravates the effects and if a colony’s queen has been killed the rest of the wasps, known popularly as yellow jackets in the US, could be flying around aimlessly.
Most people aren’t allergic to wasp or bee stings but may still develop pain, itching or swelling when stung. Benadryl, either in topical or oral form, can help reduce those symptoms. EpiPens are reserved for people with severe allergic reactions – such as trouble breathing or swallowing – which can sometimes be life-threatening.
The National Park Service is advising people in affected areas of the US to walk slowly away with their hands covering sensitive areas of their face if they discover a wasp or bee nest that has been disturbed.
A road in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Pic: AP
‘People need help now’
Dozens or possibly hundreds of people are still unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene.
Around half of those killed in the storm died in North Carolina, with 72 people dying in Buncombe County alone.
Dozens more were killed in South Carolina and Georgia as authorities now face the difficult battle to search for victims and help survivors recover.
“We know these are hard times, but please know we’re coming,” Sheriff Quentin Miller of Buncombe County said at a Thursday evening news conference.
“We’re coming to get you. We’re coming to pick up our people.”
“People need help now,” President Joe Biden said, with Congress not set to return until after the 5 November election.
President Joe Biden speaks to reporters after returning from spending the day in Florida and Georgia to survey damage from Hurricane Helene. Pic: AP
Flooding in a residential area in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Pic: Reuters
After flying in to view the affected areas on Wednesday, Mr Biden vowed that the federal government would foot the bill for debris removal and emergency protective measures for six months in North Carolina and three months in Georgia.
More than one million people across the US were left without power after Hurricane Helene struck Florida on 26 September.
Efforts to find the missing are hindered by a lack of phone service and electricity as search crews must trudge through the mountains to see if residents are safe.
Along the Cane River in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, firefighters had to cut their way through trees to make progress.
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In Pensacola, North Carolina, it’s still unclear how many people have been lost, according to Mark Harrison, chief medical officer for the local fire department.
Nearer the Tennessee state line, crews were finally beginning to reach side roads after clearing out main routes.
But this brought further troubles as crews struggled to navigate the smaller roads.
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“Everything is fine and then they come around a bend and the road is gone and it’s one big gully or the bridge is gone,” said Charlie Wallin, a Watauga County commissioner. “We can only get so far.”
When the search will end is unclear.
“You hope you’re getting closer, but it’s still hard to know,” he said.