Bizarre 'worm tornado' in New Jersey has scientists baffled

livescience.com ^ | 3/29/21 | Mindy Weisberger

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Spring rains often bring scores of earthworms to the surface, where they writhe on top of soil and sidewalks. But recently, heavy rainfall in a town near New York City was followed by something a little more unusual: a wormnado.

A resident of Hoboken, New Jersey was out for a morning walk in a park near the Hudson River on March 25, when she spotted hundreds of worms spread along the walkway. The woman, who asked not to be identified, told Live Science that after her initial surprise she noticed something even more bizarre — a number of the worms had formed a cyclone-like shape, creating a spiral where the edge of the grass met the concrete.

The woman took photographs and sent them to Tiffanie Fisher, a member of the Hoboken City Council, who shared the images of the "tornado of worms" on Facebook. "Clearly worms come out after it rains but this is something I've never seen!" Fisher wrote in the post.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

[DouglasKC]

Hmmm... I can think of a couple of possible ways....the water may be draining into some type of big opening under the sidewalk OR the worms were crawling all over each other trying to get out of the water and ended up kind of like in never ending circle of one trying to crawl on another...the biggest bunch in the middle would be the highest ground.

[Parmy]

Worms do what worms do. Why is that baffling? When it drys out those that don’t get to dirt will die. Simple.

[Samurai_Jack]

[Seruzawa]

[RandallFlagg]

Why does this story remind me of John Carpenter’s movie, “Prince of Darkness?”

[1_Rain_Drop]

Why write "in a town near New York City" when the location is Hoboken New Jersey?

About de worms...A rat tunnel probably got flooded and the worms escaped to the surface.

[Bob434]

now that’s a true wormhole

[Yardstick]

Sometimes they all turn at once.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I’d hate too see that happen near a sewage treatment plant.

“Shartnado. Now fear the brown.”

[Bigg Red]

The worms that can’t get out of thr water will drown.

[zeugma]

Sometimes they all turn at once.

Well played!

[KarlInOhio]

Enough for the early birds, prompt birds and even the late birds.

[Parmy]

That’s right. If there is anything baffling to me is just how stupid some Americans have become. They know nothing about anything. And, as far as they are concerned what they don’t know isn’t worth knowing.

[systemjim]

Don't you love that word "scientists"? How many does it take for them to be called scientists rather than a scientist? Yup, just one more. Any time you have more than one of them, they can be referred to as "scientists". Therefore, anytime the media uses the word, "Scientists", you know that they are referring to at least two, and possibly only two.

I think it shouldn't be too difficult to find two (or even a few) ignorant scientists to attest to anything. Therefore, anytime I read, "Scientists say", I don't put much stock in what is about to follow.