Resilient North Carolina farmers face substantial recovery after Florence left billions in damage

While the final tally of losses to agriculture and livestock in North Carolina from Florence will not be known for some time, the early estimates are substantial.

According to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), initial estimates to crop damage and livestock are expected to be over $1.1 billion, a significantly higher amount than the $400 million lost during Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

“We knew the losses would be significant because it was harvest time for so many of our major crops and the storm hit our top six agricultural counties especially hard,” North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxle said in a statement. “These early estimates show just what a devastating and staggering blow this hurricane leveled at our agriculture industry.”

Unlike Matthew which struck the state in mid-October, Florence’s arrival came during the harvest for many key crops. North Carolina is the No.1 state in the United States for sweet potato and tobacco production.

North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten said crop insurance will help protect losses for major crops like tobacco and corn, but others like sweet potatoes aren’t covered. About 50 percent of the tobacco crop was still in the fields when Florence struck, in part due to tobacco farmers getting a later start to the season.

The sweet potato harvest typically runs from late August through October but it can vary depending weather conditions. Kelly McIver, Executive Director of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, said farmers across the state worked tirelessly to harvest as much of their crops as possible before Hurricane Florence made landfall.

"At this time, growers and farmers throughout the state are still assessing their fields. North Carolina sweet potato growers are resilient, and we are optimistic about the potential impact of the storm," McIver said.

Wooten said many farmers have shifted their focus from a harvest to a salvage operation.

“You’re not trying to harvest to see how much money you can make or make a profit,” Wooten said. “You’re just trying to salvage what you can.”

While crop losses were extensive, for many farmers, that is only the start of their problems. Many farm roads were washed out due to flooding and houses became submerged in 2-3 feet of floodwater. Some didn’t have flood insurance because they never thought they would need it, according to Wooten.

Many farmers were significantly leveraged following Matthew in 2016, and in some cases, some were still waiting on aid from that storm.

Wooten has visited affected counties, surveying damage and speaking to farmers. He spoke to one who had raised his home 3 feet after Hurricane Floyd in 1999 only to have it overrun by 2 feet of water from Florence. In some cases, farmers that have been repeatedly flooded simply told him they will move and won’t return.

"It's a tragedy that's happened in those areas and it's gonna take awhile to recover," he said.

Wooten spent time at a vegetable farm in Sampson County where over 400 acres of greens, being harvested for Thanksgiving, were totally washed away.

Following down years in 2015 and 2016, Wooten said 2017 was an “OK” year for agriculture in the state, but many farmers were setting high hopes for 2018.

While fierce winds battered plants like tobacco and soybean, most of the damage was attributed to Florence’s excessive rainfall, as the storm brought a historic amount of rain over a four-day stretch from Sept. 13-17. Some areas received 30-50 inches of rain. The National Weather Service said Florence dropped over 8 trillion gallons of water on the state.

The damage means lower yields and loss of quality to the harvests. In addition, crops and commodities exposed to floodwaters are considered unadulterated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and cannot enter human food channels.

“Floodwater may contain sewage, harmful organisms, pesticides, chemical wastes or other substances,” said Troxler. “Also, wet foods may grow mold, which can produce toxins that can harm humans and animals.”

Due to the inherent health risks, the FDA cites floodwaters as a different danger than rainwater that simply collects and pools in one location.

Wooten said one blessing he’s realized is that Florence didn’t make landfall as a Category 3 or 4 storm, in which case it could’ve caused worse damage. He also credited the preparations many took ahead of the storm, especially poultry and livestock producers, who propositioned extra food for their animals and backup generators.

Agriculture is the No.1 economic driver in North Carolina as it contributes about $84 billion annually to the state's economy. At a press conference on Sept. 27, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said they must work together to help farmers recover.

Farmers who are beginning to arduous rebuild say what they need the most now is financial relief and not necessarily in the form of low-interest loans.

In an interview with the North Carolina Farm Bureau, Frank Andrews, a farmer in Jones County, said he appreciates the donated meals and cleaning supplies, but financial assistance is what he needs to save his farm.

"I hate to say this, but we need money. We don't need loans; we've already got loans. We need money to start over," Andrews said.

“Our farmers don’t want to hear the word 'resilient' time after time because we’ve been resilient, but they’re pretty shell shocked right now in terms of which way to go," Wooten said.

Report a Typo