As communities in Georgia continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of the state in September, there could be other issues on the horizon because of the storm. According to a map from the U.S. Geological Survey, there are 222 possible non-native species that had the potential to spread in Georgia due to storm-related flooding. The list includes 90 species considered invasive and likely to spread via flood waters.
The U.S. Geological Survey creates Flood and Storm Tracker maps that identify where aquatic non-native and invasive species may have been carried due to flooding associated with storms. These maps are designed to help state, local officials, as well as farmers and land managers mitigate the threats from invasive species.
According to the reports, invasive species are non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic damage, environmental harm, or a risk to human health or cultural practices. They can decrease agricultural production, compete with native plants and wildlife, impair critical water infrastructure, transmit disease to wildlife and humans, threaten commercial and native fisheries, and cost governments and industries billions of dollars, officials said.
Mike Worley, president of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, told several news agencies that these invasive species can decimate native creatures, which can disrupt the entire food chain.
“These plants or animals come into an area, and they are uniquely adapted to the area in which they evolved, and they generally will have their own set of predators, they’ll have checks on their population, but they come into a new area – and all these invasive species are getting here because we’re bringing them in some way, either intentionally or accidentally – and suddenly they find a new niche in the world where there’s no checks on them,” Worley was quoted as saying in several news reports.
“If you live in Georgia because you like Georgia, then invasives are a problem because they can fundamentally change it. They can fundamentally change the nature, they can change the very essence of what we are,” Worley added.
The species monitored in the USGS’s map include everything from plants and algae to fish, reptiles and crustaceans.
One creature on the list is the Cuban treefrog, a native to the island nation that has spread to Georgia, Florida and other spots across the continental U.S., usually through food or plant shipments, especially palm trees, or hidden in building materials.
According to the USGS, not only do these Cuban treefrogs compete with and even prey on native treefrogs, but they have been found to host diseases and parasites that can harm humans and other frogs. Also, their skin secretes a chemical that can irritate the skin and eyes, and they have even been observed to cause power outages when in contact with electrical equipment.
The USGS map currently shows they have the potential to spread via flooding around the north and south metro Atlanta area, Augusta and Valdosta.
According to reports, other species of concern include the giant apple snail, which is an agricultural pest, and the Asian swamp eel, which impacts populations of native species where it has established. Officials believe both species pose a risk to human health because they can carry parasites.
Officials said invasive plants can lead to fish kills in ponds and certain mussels can clog the pipes of water pumps.
