Radar Picks Up Giant ‘Cicada Cloud’ Over Maryland

Trillions of cicadas have finally emerged from the ground in Maryland for the first time in 17 years. There appear to be so many of them across the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area that local radar has detected a giant ‘cicada cloud’. 

According to NBC4 Washington’s Lauryn Ricketts, weather radar images around 1141 ET detected the cloud of cicadas. “THIS is not rain, not ground clutter (the radar beam picking up objects close the radar site –which is in Loudoun County)…. the Hydrometeor Classification algorithm identifies this as biological in nature..so likely CICADAS being picked up by the radar beam…” she tweeted. 

The United States Forest Service shows the Brood X cicadas are mostly found in Maryland, Deleware, and South/Central Pennsylvania. 

Local news WJZ 13 said “high numbers'” of the insects are throughout the Baltimore metro area. 

The mass re-emergence of Brood X will only last a month or so as they produce a deafening sound, well over 100 decibels, searching for a mate, making babies, then dying. This only occurs every 17 years.