North Florida ranchers, farmers report widespread damage from Hurricane Helene

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Ranchers, farmers, and timber growers in North Florida are reporting extensive damage from Hurricane Helene, which struck the region last week with powerful winds and heavy rain. The storm caused significant destruction to agricultural infrastructure and crops, including blown-off roofs of chicken houses, flattened acres of sweet corn and carrots, uprooted irrigation systems, and fallen trees that destroyed fences. Hay in damaged barns has been left wet and moldy.

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Incoming Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican and citrus grower, described the damage as “worse” than what North Florida experienced during Hurricane Idalia in August 2023. After meeting with growers in Lake City, Albritton said the mood remained “resilient” and “optimistic.” He said, “I see a lot of the same out of North Florida after Idalia last year, after this storm and after Ian.”

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson also visited the area and described the destruction as “catastrophic,” with damage to cattle, field crops, nurseries, beehives, and agricultural processing plants. Simpson has requested a federal disaster declaration from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, warning of the risk to the region’s agricultural industries if immediate relief is not provided.

“There are no words to describe the devastation to these family farms who have been impacted by multiple storms,” Simpson wrote, noting that many are still awaiting relief from previous disasters. He highlighted the destruction of fences, barns, honey bee boxes, irrigation systems, and farm equipment, as well as the continued risk of riverine flooding into October.

In response to the damage, Simpson has opened a loan program for growers and ranchers affected by the storm, offering interest-free loans up to $500,000 to help repair or replace damaged equipment and infrastructure.

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Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall late Thursday in Taylor County with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. This is the latest in a series of storms that have ravaged Florida’s agricultural industry, including Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Idalia earlier this year.

The agricultural sector has sustained billions in losses from these storms. In 2023, Hurricane Idalia alone caused an estimated $447 million in damage, affecting 3.5 million acres of agricultural land. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) estimates agricultural losses from Hurricane Debby, which hit North Florida in August, to be between $93.7 million and $263.2 million.

Albritton, who will assume the role of Senate president after the November elections, said he is not currently considering a special legislative session to address Hurricane Helene’s impact, emphasizing the need to address several major issues affecting the state.

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