In a comical turn of events, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Department in South Carolina has been inundated with 911 calls from concerned citizens reporting incessant siren sounds. However, upon investigation, the department discovered that the source of the noise was not an emergency but rather a natural phenomenon: the emergence of cicadas from their subterranean slumber.
Sheriff Lee Foster took to Facebook to assure the community that the “noise in the air that sounds like a siren, or a whine, or a roar” is simply the sound of cicadas, posing no danger to humans or pets. This natural chorus is the result of male cicadas singing to attract mates.
The cicadas emerging this year are part of a rare convergence of two periodical broods that have been underground for either 13 or 17 years. This is the first time in 221 years that these two types of cicadas – brood XIX and XIII – have risen from the ground at the same time, a coincidence that is not expected to occur again until 2244.
The noisiest cicadas have been concentrated in the rural county of about 38,000 people, located approximately 40 miles northwest of Columbia. Sheriff Foster reported that calls about the mysterious sounds came in from multiple locations throughout Tuesday. Some residents even flagged down deputies to inquire about the source of the commotion.
The collective songs of cicadas can be as loud as jet engines, prompting scientists who study them to wear earmuffs for protection. This natural phenomenon is a reminder of the diversity and wonder of the natural world, and a testament to the resilience of these fascinating creatures after spending years underground.
