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Flying Roaches Invade New Orleans After Storms, Terrify Residents

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Author Waldemar Mopera

Roaches on a white plate beside a silver fork.
Roaches on a white plate beside a silver fork. Image via Pexels

After a stretch of heavy rain and humidity, New Orleans residents are dealing with a different kind of storm: giant flying roaches. Locals have taken to social media to post videos and photos of palm-sized bugs divebombing porches, clinging to walls, and even turning up in laundry rooms.

These aren’t your everyday kitchen roaches—they’re American cockroaches, sometimes called “palmetto bugs,” and they can grow up to 5 cm (2 inches) long. Oh, and yes—they fly. Poorly, but enough to cause chaos when they launch themselves toward a ceiling fan or an unsuspecting homeowner.

Why Are They Here… and Flying?

American cockroaches love heat and moisture, so New Orleans in late spring is paradise. After storms, when the ground is saturated and sewer levels rise, these bugs come looking for dry, high ground, which often means people’s homes.

Add in high humidity and warm nights, and they get more active, sometimes even airborne. Entomologists say their flight is more of a glide, but try telling that to someone who just screamed and ducked under their kitchen table.

Not Dangerous—But Definitely Unwelcome

A handful of roaches on a human hand.
A handful of roaches on a human hand. Image via Pexels

These bugs don’t bite or sting, but they can spread bacteria if they crawl over food or surfaces. More than anything, it’s their size and sudden appearance that freak people out. You’ll usually find them in bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, and anywhere near drains or pipes.

And they’re fast. Really fast. Once inside, they can vanish under appliances or into wall cracks like they were never there.

How to Keep Them Out

A person wiping a white table.
A person wiping a white table. Image via Pexels

Experts recommend sealing gaps around windows, doors, and pipes. Use mesh screens on vents and drains, and don’t leave pet food or crumbs lying around. Dehumidifiers help, too—cockroaches hate dry air.

“Wildlife, Cockroaches Flee the Water After Tropical Storm,” Source: YouTube, Uploaded: WWLTV

If they’re already in your house, sticky traps or pest control services can help bring the situation under control. And no, the occasional shoe-smash isn’t going to make a dent if you’re dealing with a full-on invasion.

New Orleans knows how to handle storms, but nobody was ready for the flying roach sequel.

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