Deadly flooding from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina has also disrupted the underground nests of yellow jackets, bees and other insects, causing them to swarm and sting people struggling to recover from the storm.
It’s caused such a surge in requests for medication to protect people allergic to stings that the the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is buying Benadryl and epinephrine injections to help fill requests through hospitals, emergency medical personnel and doctors. And the humanitarian aid group Direct Relief says it has sent more than 2,000 EpiPen injections to community health centers, clinics and pharmacies across western North Carolina.
Well that sucks. Usually all you have to do to avoid a swarm of yellow jackets is to stay away from public park shelter trash cans.
Write your local government and encourage them to get rid of these. It’s out of control. Districts that have strict carry-on / carry-out laws without public trashes have some of the cleanest parks I’ve ever seen and you can eat without insect attack. Sounds like a hassle to not have trashes, but if you’ve experienced it, you’ll likely agree it’s totally worth it.
There may be some delay due to the buildings and parks being erased, however.