ATLANTA — A new report from the United States Geological Survey says hundreds of invasive species could’ve made their way to Georgia during and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton earlier this year.
Scientists with the USGS say floodwaters from the storms could have accelerated the spread of invasive wildlife and plant species.
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Maps show that 222 possible non-native species may have spread due to Hurricane Helene and 90 of them are considered invasive.
Hurricane Milton could have moved 114 non-native species and 56 of those are invasive.
Officials say that because the two storms happened so close to one another, some of the species likely overlap with one another.
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Some of the species the USGS says are likely to have spread include the Burmese python, giant applesnail, the Asian swamp eel, Cuban treefrogs and alligatorweed.
Both the giant applesnail and Asian swamp eel are known to carry parasites, which can be harmful to humans.
The Cuban treefrogs secrete a chemical that can cause burning in the eyes and nose.
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