A rare sight filled the sky over Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky neighborhoods last evening. Swarms of dragonflies swept through backyards and streets throughout the city — but the phenomenon didn't stop here, it spanned all across Ohio, all the way up to Cleveland.
While we are not biological experts, we have determined (through input from our followers) that it's most likely dragonflies mixed with other insects/birds! https://t.co/5MeJXj37zq
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) September 10, 2019
The horde of dragonflies was so exceptionally massive that it could be seen on the Cleveland Doppler Radar. Dragonflies are not harmful to humans, and in most cases the swarms can be beneficial, as they eat small insects like mosquitoes.
According to a project by Scientific American, dragonfly researchers are aware of the swarms, but lack data as the events happen so rarely.
"You have to be in the right place at the right time to see one and many people will go their entire lives without ever witnessing a swarm," the article states.
The Dragonfly Swarm Project is a crowd-sourced operation where people who have experienced the occurrence can submit their reports via their site.
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