The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Weather Omen

Just before a hurricane hits, and hits really hard, the whole area is dead still except for gnats. There will be literally thousands of gnats around. Oftentimes people will abandon a certain coastal area entirely simply because of the numbers of gnats. For example, when Camille hit the Gulf Coast several years ago, one could hardly walk for the insects near the area, and even as far away as my home in Pensacola, Florida, about 150 miles away, the insects were fierce.

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.
Informant was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, where he probably learned this.

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; FLORIDA ; NASHVILLE ; PENSACOLA