Warning: ‘Cicada-geddon’ is only a month away

Experts say two periodical cicada broods will emerge together this year.
Experts say two periodical cicada broods will emerge together this year.(Kristin Johnson | Kristin Johnson / CC BY 2.0)
Published: Apr. 9, 2024 at 11:38 AM CDT
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(CNN) – Now that the solar eclipse is over, another rare event is coming – “cicada-geddon.”

Cicadas are emerging soon, and there could be more of them than the world has seen in 200 years.

According to experts, hundreds of trillions of cicadas will start appearing in May and live for about six weeks as part of a dual emergence.

This map shows where cicadas will emerge, starting in May. Brood XIII is shown by blue dots,...
This map shows where cicadas will emerge, starting in May. Brood XIII is shown by blue dots, and Brood XIX is shown with red dots.(Cicada Safari)

For the first time since 1803, two specific groups of cicadas will appear at the same time.

People living in the Midwest and the Southeast will experience the rare event.

After they emerge and molt, the males will start buzzing to find a mate, and the noise can be louder than a plane.

The cicadas will eventually die off, and it will be another 221 years before the two groups appear together again.