Hurricane Michael a Multibillion-Dollar Pain for Georgia Agriculture

Posted by Paul Rusnak|November 9, 2018

The Georgia Farm Bureau is reporting early estimates of agricultural losses caused by Hurricane Michael are starting to pour in from the University of Georgia and Georgia Forestry Commission. As one can imagine, the post-storm figures for the Peach State are sobering with numbers now approaching $3 billion.

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Georgia is home to a wide variety of produce including sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, peppers, tomatoes and peas, which suffered an estimated $480 million loss from Hurricane Michael.
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
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Farm structures like this one in Georgia were flattened by Hurricane Michael's mighty winds.
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
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Hurricane Michael dealt a serious blow to Georgia's pecan crop.
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
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Georgia pecan growers are looking at an estimated $560 million loss thanks to Hurricane Michael.
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
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This is the third year in a row that Georgia pecans have taken a hit from a major hurricane. Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
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From high above, this mobile irrigation rig appears flipped over like a toy by Hurricane Michael.
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
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This young planting of Satsuma orange trees near Statesboro, GA, felt the impact of Hurricane Michael's winds.
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
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Hurricane Michael squashed this squash crop in Colquitt County, GA.
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Agriculture

Describing the devastation and loss of prominent crops, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black stated the following in a Georgia Farm Bureau news update: “These are generational losses that are unprecedented, and it will take unprecedented ideas and actions to help our farm families and rural communities recover.”

Breaking Down Hurricane Michael’s Peach State Pummeling

Timber: Approximately 1 million acres were destroyed, resulting in $1 billion in losses.
Cotton: Estimated losses from Hurricane Michael range from $300 million to $800 million. The final loss estimate will be dependent on the ability to harvest what remains in the field.
Pecans: Trees were either blown over or broken, resulting in an estimated $560 million-dollar loss. The damages will have a generational impact since it takes about seven years for a tree to begin producing marketable pecans.
Specialty Crops: A wide variety of produce, including sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, peppers, tomatoes, and peas, suffered an estimated $480 million loss.
Poultry: Estimated a $25 million hit, 97 chicken houses and well more than 2 million chickens were lost.
Peanuts: Estimates for peanut losses range from $10 to $20 million, with the final loss estimate still to be determined.

“The meter started at $1 billion and jumped quickly to nearly $3 billion,” Black concluded. “Unfortunately, we are not quite sure where it is going to stop.”