A buzzing threat? Yellow jackets swarm in North Carolina after Helene destroys their homes

The devastation from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the Southeast has left more than 200 dead, swallowed entire towns and left thousands without power or drinking water. Now, another problem has arisen from the storm: yellow jackets.

Severe flooding in the state stirred up colonies of the insects as their habitats were likely destroyed by floodwaters, a phenomenon that, according to an emailed statement from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, is fairly normal.

“It is normal for bees, yellow jackets, and other stinging insects to be temporarily disrupted after a Hurricane,” the statement said.

"Basically, if their nest is destroyed, then they have nowhere to go back to," Matt Bertone, director of the NC State Entomology Department, explained to the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. "If they've escaped, if they haven't drowned, they're gonna be out and about, not knowing what to do."

However, officials are taking the threat of these insects seriously, as they have taken measures to make sure medications like Benadryl and epinephrine will be readily available in the affected areas.

“We are actively working to ensure Benadryl and epinephrine are readily available in western NC for those who may be allergic or have been stung,” the statement said.

Why these medicines?

Medications like Benadryl help deal with symptoms associated with wasp or bee stings. Although the majority of people are not allergic to stings, medications like Benadryl help reduce symptoms like pain, itching or swelling that could develop after a sting.

On the other hand, epinephrine injections, more commonly known as EpiPens are used for people who do have severe allergic reactions to stings from bees, wasps or in this case yellow jackets.

“We have made a large purchase of epi-pens and Benadryl and are filling requests and distributing through EMS, hospitals, providers, etc,” the department said.

Yellow jackets can be particularly dangerous

Yellow jackets are typically more aggressive than bees, as they can both sting a person multiple times but can signal other yellow jackets to attack the same person, swarming them, according to insect repellent company Raid.

Officials in North Carolina are also taking steps to allow people to refill allergy prescriptions to avoid any complications.

“The NC Board of Pharmacy has flexibility so that people can get emergency refills on their prescribed allergy medicines. We are working to issue a standing order for Epi-pens for people to get medicines if they do not have a prescription from a provider,” the email said.

Contributing: Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.