VIDEO: More Rain In New York Could Lead To This Horrific Sight

New York has already seen its fair share of thunderstorms this week, and Tropical Storm Debby is only threatening to make matters worse when it hits the state on Friday.

Besides dangers like flooding and power outages, a creepier threat lurks as well: mass migrations of insect larvae that seem to form a giant, pulsing, snake-like creature. It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but it can become very real if the rain continues to fall.

This writhing shape on the ground is actually thousands of larvae that have combined to travel as one single organism (Nancy K via YouTube)

Fascinating Video of Gnat Larvae Mass

The video (below) needs to be seen to be believed. Forced out of the soil by heavy rains, what looks like thousands of dark-winged fungus gnat larvae seem to move as one as they search for a drier habitat.

Heavy New York Rains Could Bring Gnat Larvae to the Surface

"If you’re getting heavy rainfall from bands of Tropical Storm Debby this week, you might spot a mass migration of Dark-winged Fungus Gnat larvae (Bradysia spp.)", warned Southern Piedmont Natural History, a division of University of South Carolina Upstate. The sight is more common than many would assume.

Tropical storm Debby could hit New York State on Friday. Will it bring hordes of gnat larvae? (Southern Piedmont Natural History via Facebook/Google)

Gnat Larvae Migrations Spotted on the East Coast

"Saw one of these traveling across my neighborhood road last summer... It was fascinating to watch how they moved in unison", reported one commenter. "Here are mine, several years ago!", said another comment along with a second video of the fascinating sight (below).

Are Fungus Gnats Dangerous to Plants or Animals?

The good news is that when these larvae masses mature into gnats, they are not generally harmful to local gardens. Adult gnats don't destroy plants or bite people and are seen as more of a nuisance than threat. The same isn't necessarily true about the larvae, however.

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In large numbers (like in the videos above), the gnat larvae can be destructive to young plants and even the root systems of established plants. Luckily, this is seen more with indoor plants, and experts agree that outdoor flora face less of a threat, even from migrating hordes.

New York State's Invasive Plants To Be On The Lookout For

These seven invasive plants have become a nuisance to the wildlife and people living in New York State. Learn more about them and how to remove them at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation here.