00:42 Massive Mosquito Outbreak Thanks to Florence Flooding An outbreak of extra large mosquitos is wreaking havoc in North Carolina thanks to Hurricane Florence's flooding aftermath.

At a Glance Large, aggressive mosquitoes have taken over areas flooded by Hurricane Florence in eastern North Carolina.

The breeds, often referred to as "gallinippers," are known to have a painful bite.

Days of standing water from Hurricane Florence proved to be the perfect breeding ground for a large, aggressive species of mosquito – especially in the town of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The flood water allowed eggs to hatch from the Psorophora ciliata and other similar breeds , North Carolina State University entomology professor Michael Reiskind told the Fayetteville Observer. Often referred to as "gallinippers," the mosquitoes have a painful bite and take advantage of damp, low-lying areas to lay their eggs.

(PHOTOS: Florence's Flooding Persists Two Weeks Later )

"It was like a flurry – like it was snowing mosquitoes ," North Carolina resident Cassie Vadovsky told USA Today. "I think my car agitated them. I waited for them to calm down before I grabbed the kids and the ran into the house."

The eggs lie dormant in dry weather and hatch as adults following heavy rains. Reiskind says the state has 61 mosquito species, and "when the flood comes, we get many, many billions of them."

He says a silver lining is the mosquitoes aren’t transmitting many diseases, but resident Robert Phillips still describes their rise as "a bad science fiction movie."