Hurricane Milton caused agricultural production losses with an estimated value between $190.4 million and $642.7 million in Florida, according to a preliminary report by the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP). The report is based on a set of baseline data and surveys.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Oct. 9 near Siesta Key and generated significant tornado activity between Oct. 6 and Oct. 12. Hurricane-force winds impacted 14 Florida counties: Brevard, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, and Volusia.
An additional 43 Florida counties experienced tropical storm-force winds. Rainfall was concentrated in the western and central regions of the state, and some southwestern areas experienced cumulative totals above 18 inches from Oct. 6-Oct. 12.
Flood levels reached 15 feet on the coast and in low-lying areas. Inland, particularly around rivers, estuaries, and natural lowlands, flood levels climbed to 4 feet.
Milton impacted more than 5.7 million acres of agricultural land in the state, property that collectively produces an estimated $8.6 billion in agricultural products over multiple growing seasons each year. Sixty-eight percent of the affected land is used for animal grazing.
By comparison, Hurricane Debby, a Category 1 storm, impacted 2.2 million acres of agricultural land in early August and resulted in production losses of about $170 million, according to a soon-to-be-released final report from the EIAP.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, impacted 6 million acres of agricultural land in late September and resulted in production losses of between $40.3 million and $162.2 million, according to a preliminary EIAP report.
Isolating impacts from Hurricane Milton is challenging because the storm made landfall shortly after Helene. To address uncertainty, the preliminary Hurricane Milton report from UF/IFAS EIAP provides low and high estimates of average production losses.
These figures should not be interpreted as minimum and maximum values.
The low and high estimates of production losses in the current growing or marketing season for the commodity groups that experienced the highest production losses include:
- Vegetables, melons and potatoes: $52.5 million (low); $233 million (high)
- Greenhouse, nursery: $66.9 million (low); $177 million (high)
- Vegetables, melons and potatoes were largely impacted by heavy winds and flooding.
Growers reported substantial impacts of flooding to potatoes and beans, and of wind to crops including peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, and cauliflower. Production losses for greenhouses and nurseries resulted from structural damage and loss of electricity.
"Some growers have delayed winter crop planting due to Helene and Milton, disrupting the production schedule and potentially affecting the value of future harvests," according to the report.
Economists will continue to collect data related to Hurricane Milton through 2025.
The preliminary report can be found here.
For more information:
Megan Winslow
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
Tel: +1 (352) 294-3313
[email protected]
http://www.ifas.ufl.edu