Just how loud will cicadas emerging in Tennessee get? What noise levels to expect

This summer, Brood XIX cicadas will emerge across Middle Tennessee. While the cicadas are totally harmless, the noise they make could cause anxiety and discomfort.

This year marks a rare double brood emergence, which hasn't happened since 1803, according to USA TODAY . Both Brood XIX and Brood XIII will be making an appearance between mid-May and mid-June , but the good news is that only Brood XIX is found in Tennessee.

Brood XIX will emerge in the following Tennessee counties: Blount, Cheatham, Clay, Davidson, Grundy, Hamilton, Jackson, Loudon, Macon, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Putnam, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Smith, Stewart and Summer, according to Cicadamania.com .

"Cicadas are not harmful to humans, pets, household gardens, or crops," the United States Environmental Protection Agency's website emphasizes. There is a chance cicada eggs could damage small tree branches on young trees, but bigger, more established trees will not be affected.

The 2024 cicada invasion: How to save your trees and shrubs from damage

Why do cicadas make such loud noise?

Periodical cicadas lie dormant for years at a time and emerge every 13 or 17 years with the primary purpose of mating, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. And their courting method? Singing. Or screaming, depending on who you ask.

"Male cicadas will occasionally synchronize their songs in a massive chorus, a loud deep humming in the trees, to draw the attention of females," according to USA TODAY.

When synchronized, the sound is also useful for warding off predator birds, according to BetterHearing.org .

How do cicadas create the noise?

Male cicadas each have two tymbals, vibrating membranes located behind their wings, according to BetterHearing.org. The tymbals are ribbed, and when cicadas flex their muscles, the ribs bend, causing a click. In fast succession, these clicks create that roaring buzz.

Cicadas repeat this movement between 300 and 400 times per second, according to ScienceDaily.com .

Could the sound be enough to damage hearing?

When multiple cicadas sing together to form a chorus, the noise can reach 90 to 100 decibels, according to Cicadamania.com. This is equivalent to a running lawn mower or motorcycle, according to BetterHearing.org.

If the sound reaches 100 decibels, it's best that exposure is limited to 15 minutes, according to Thomas Powers, founder of Powers Consulting, a group that advises companies within the hearing health industry.

USA TODAY's Janet Loehrke recorded Brood X in 2021. Listen below.

Even if cicada noise levels do reach 100 decibels, it's unlikely that someone would get both close enough and stay long enough to have their hearing impacted, Powers said.

The high noise level does have the potential to cause anxiety, USA TODAY reported. Those with sensory sensitivities who experience this year's cicada chorus are also likely to be impacted.

Suggested tips for coping with anxiety include "thinking of the sounds cicadas exude as white noise" and "wearing earplugs or headphones to lower the noise level," among others, according to USA TODAY.

Hayden Dunbar is the storyteller reporter. Email hayden.dunbar@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Just how loud will cicadas emerging in Tennessee get? What noise levels to expect