The agricultural production losses Florida experienced due to Hurricane Helene have an estimated value between $40.3 million and $162.2 million, according to a preliminary report by the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP). The report is based on a diverse set of baseline data and surveys UF/IFAS economists distributed to producers.
Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall on September 26 near Perry and brought tropical-storm-force winds to 55 of the state's 67 counties, as well as hurricane conditions to eight others: Dixie, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla.
Helene affected more than 6 million acres of agricultural land in Florida, property that collectively produces an estimated $8.7 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 that impacted 2.2 million acres of agricultural land in early August, resulted in production losses of about $170 million, according to a soon-to-be-released final report from the EIAP.
"Debby, despite being a weaker storm in terms of wind, resulted in greater agricultural losses than Helene due to heavier rainfall and more extensive flooding, some of which affected areas that grow or raise higher-value products," said Xiaohui Qiao, EIAP research assistant professor.
A vast majority of lands affected by Helene – 99.6% – experienced low-intensity weather conditions. Agricultural operations in the Big Bend region – particularly in Franklin, Gulf, and Liberty counties – experienced the most intense rainfall, recording 12 inches between September 23 and 29. Helene caused widespread storm surges on the Gulf Coast, with barrier islands and parts of the coastline recording as much as 15 feet of flooding. Inland, estimated flood depth generally reached between 1 foot and 2 feet.
Powerful winds are responsible for a large percentage of agricultural losses caused by Helene. The storm flattened and stripped crops, damaged irrigation systems and fences, and caused power outages.
The estimated range of annual production losses for the current growing or marketing season for select commodity groups includes vegetables, melons, and potatoes, with losses ranging between $10.5 million and $38.2 million.
The EIAP economists attribute the significant difference between the low and high estimates in each range to uncertainty, as well as to large swaths of agricultural lands where producers experienced weak hurricane conditions and reported minimal or no losses.
UF/IFAS EIAP reports rely heavily on agricultural producers' survey responses. In addition to improving public understanding of the economic importance of agriculture, the information collected is used to improve the industry's resilience by informing disaster response and recovery, emergency planning exercises, and policy discussions.
For more information:
Megan Winslow
University of Florida
Tel: +1 352 392 3261
www.blogs.ifas.ufl.edu