North Carolina

Mosquitoes swarm North Carolina county after Hurricane Dorian

SWAN QUARTER, N.C. — Mosquitoes have swarmed a North Carolina county in the days since Hurricane Dorian brought heavy rainfall to the area.

Luana Gibbs is the interim health director of Hyde County. She tells The Virginian-Pilot that the mosquitoes are "twice as bad as they were" before the hurricane.

Dorian skirted the North Carolina coast earlier this month and made landfall on the Outer Banks, causing tornadoes and flooding and leaving behind collapsed buildings and homes.

The newspaper reports the mainland portion of Hyde County does not have a mosquito control program after determining six years ago that it was not cost effective.

County officials are urging people in that area to wear pants and long-sleeve shirts, avoid being outside at dawn and dusk and use mosquito repellent.