Waist High 'Panic' Grass Flooding Australian Town

First it was the spiders and now it's the grass. An Australian town is being invaded by long hairy strands of dry tumbleweed, courtesy an untended field forcing residents struggle to clean their homes for hours.

According to UPI, Panicum effusum, colloquially referred as 'hairy panic', is inundating Wangaratta, a town located in Victoria. The outbreak is an annual event but this summer seems to be worse than previous years. For the residents and their pets, the weed poses no threat but is a nuisance.

Residents have complained about their homes being flooded with waist-high grass, being blown from an unkempt farm into the town. The grass also reduces visibility, forcing residents to work hours just to clear it.

"I spent eight hours yesterday cleaning up the tumbleweed," a Wangaratta resident Cherly Lengrand was quoted saying by The Washington Post.

Though dry and not a threat to farm animals, there is a slight risk of sheep developing a condition known as 'yellow big head'. The condition is a result of increased photosensitivity, caused when sheep binge on the grass.

The local authorities have informed residents that there is no fire threat from the weed. However, sweepers have been called to help residents with the cleaning.

Last year, parts of Australia witnessed the annual migration of juvenile spiders, resulting in towns getting covered in sticky web.