Requests for allergy medication in North Carolina have shot up in the wake of Hurricane Helene, after the devastating rains and flooding seen in the state also disturbed the nests of yellowjackets.
Seeing a few yellowjackets buzzing about in the early fall isn’t necessarily unusual – as their usual sources of food start to decline, that’s when we might see them going after ours. However, it’s been reported that swarms of the insects have appeared following Hurricane Helene, with workers part of recovery efforts getting stung.
The swarms are thought to have been the result of the severe flooding caused by the storm also destroying yellowjacket nests, which are typically found underground.
“Populations are just kind of spilling out, so you don’t have one yellow jacket, you have 300 of them on this tree,” Chris Hayes, an extension associate in urban entomology at North Carolina State University (NCSU), told NBC News.
While social wasps like yellowjackets don’t normally seek people out just to sting them, Matt Bertone, Director of NCSU’s Entomology Department, told the Asheville Citizen Times that in these circumstances, yellowjackets are going to be confused.
“If they’ve escaped [their nest], if they haven’t drowned, they’re gonna be out and about, not knowing what to do.”
At a time of year when they can already get aggressive due to lack of food, Hayes told NBC News that the hurricane may well have exacerbated things.
“They can very quickly mount a response that can be very dangerous, even for people who are not severely allergic,” said Hayes.
In response to the situation, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has been buying up supplies of Benadryl and injectable pens of epinephrine (EpiPens) to keep hospitals, healthcare providers, and emergency services well supplied.
“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,” Summer Tonizzo, a press assistant at the state Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement emailed to NBC News.
That also includes plans for people with existing prescriptions to be able to get emergency refills of the two medications, and for people to be able to buy EpiPens even if they don’t have a prescription.
Benadryl is an antihistamine medication that’s recommended for use in situations where someone is not allergic to yellowjacket stings, but may be experiencing symptoms like pain and itching.
EpiPens, on the other hand, are used when someone is severely allergic to yellowjacket stings and could develop anaphylaxis. Even when an EpiPen is used in such a situation, they should also receive emergency medical attention.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
