Mayfly storm takes over Louisiana gas station
Every year at the beginning of summer people in Louisiana can expect a brief but terrifying meeting with huge swarms of mayflies. The insects are proof that nature is as intimidating as it is majestic.
People who pay close attention to the signs that nature gives know that there are several ways to tell when the seasons are about to change. It could be a slight dampness in the air or a later sunset or, in the case of Louisiana's residents, it is a huge migration of mayflies.
The insects, which spend up to a year in a "nymph stage" in large bodies of water, come up to the surface when they are matured and cause a fair amount of chaos in the area. Recently, a huge swarm of mayflies descended on a filling station, completely covering the entire area.
The scene looks like something out of an apocalypse-themed movie.
Thankfully, the mayflies don't stay around for too long: the insects only live for between two minutes and two days.
This yearly meeting with this force of nature, brief as it may be, is a reminder of the terrifying majesty of nature.