"One of the more bizarre effects of the ongoing El Niño ocean warming phenomenon is a sudden invasion of grasshoppers in parts of western Arizona and southern Nevada. Swarms of palewing grasshoppers thrived in this year's moist and mild winter along the lower reaches of the Colorado River. Millions of them have descended on the cities of Laughlin, Nev., and Lake Havasu City, Ariz., causing traffic accidents when motorists slid across insect-covered roads.Street sweepers were dispatched to vacuum up masses of the hoppers and to haul them off to a landfill. Officials believe the insects will be swarming over the area until midsummer."--Earth Alert <http://www.discovery.com/news/earthalert/earthalert.html>.