Impact of Hurricane Michael to Vegetable Industry

Hurricane Michael touched down on the panhandle of Florida as a category 4 hurricane and moved northeast through southwest Georgia in the early morning of October 10, 2018, causing significant damage to large portions of the state’s vegetable industry. Immediately after the hurricane touched down in Georgia, the UGA multidisciplinary Extension Vegetable Team visited the most affected counties and conducted damage assessments aimed at preparing a comprehensive report to determine the actual loss incurred to the Georgia fruit and vegetable industry. Calculations were based on the information gathered by the Vegetable Assessment Team, growers and county Extension agents during farm visits in southwest Georgia. Damage estimate by the UGA Extension Team depicted a total loss of $480 million to the Georgia vegetable industry. The vast majority of initial crop damage was caused by the strong winds, which resulted in lodging or defoliation of plants. Further, damages were sustained after the hurricane due to “sunburn” of exposed fruit. Due to power outages growers were unable to cool or store their harvested produce and were also unable to irrigate their remaining crops in fields. This assessment of the economic impact will be useful for policy implementation by the state legislators, stakeholders and congressional representatives, especially in getting some disaster relief assistance for the state, industry and affected vegetable farmers.