GROSS! Tropical Storm Barry sends roaches, snakes, other critters a scurrying

NEW ORLEANS — People aren’t the only ones feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Barry – the system is also sending creepy crawlies to higher ground to avoid the storm’s rains.

Video shared with and captured by WWL-TV shows snakes, field mice, ants, even roaches scurrying around – and it’s enough to make your skin crawl! 

Fair warning: you may get the heebie jeebies after watching. (Can’t see the videos below? Click here)

ROACHES

WWL Photographer Geoff Hackett captured cockroaches fleeing the water after Tropical Storm Barry makes landfall. 

FIELD MOUSE & FIRE ANTS

WWL reporter Paul Murphy spotted the critter floating on a piece of driftwood while reporting in Plaquemines Parish. You can also see clumps of fire ants floating on top of the water.

Crabs

WWL reporter Erika Ferrando found these small crabs scurrying along on the flood gate in Terrebonne Parish. 

SNAKES

The St. Tammany Fire Department is warning residents near areas of high water related to Barry to be on the lookout for snakes who are trying to escape the flood waters, too.

Barry made landfall in Louisiana around 1 p.m. Saturday after briefly strengthening to a Category 1 hurricane. It quickly weakened to a tropical storm. 

The storm’s outer bands dumped heavy rain all along the Gulf Coast, even in parts of coastal Alabama. Forecasters say the entire region affected by Tropical Storm Barry is still susceptible to extreme levels of rainfall. The overall rain forecast is for 2 to 4 inches in New Orleans and 6 to 10 inches in Baton Rouge, but as much as 10 to 20 inches could still fall in the places where Barry’s rain bands set up.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.