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The negative affects of storms on the Bay Area's farmland explained

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Published  October 23, 2024 3:30pm EDT
Hurricane Milton
FOX 13 News

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    TAMPA, Fla. - Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused heartache for millions as Floridians scrambled to prepare for and find safety twice in just two weeks. Since the storms, the state has focused on surveying the damage and offering aid to displaced residents. 

    After initial damage assessments, it's clear that the hurricanes did not spare Florida’s farmland.

    According to initial damage assessments by the Florida Department of Agriculture, the state’s farmland faces $1.5 to $2 billion in storm losses. For perspective, that is a billion dollars more than the damage faced after Hurricanes Idalia and Debby.

    READ MORE: DeSantis gives $1M in aid to fisheries in West Florida to help with hurricane recovery

    Florida’s farmland losses have prompted Wilton Simpson, the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, to request federal assistance.

    In a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture, Wilton asked the federal government to issue an Emergency Disaster Declaration for Florida’s farmland.  

    According to the letter:

    The losses facing Florida’s agricultural sector have potentially disastrous effects on the Bay Area.

    According to statistics published by the Florida Department of Agriculture, three Bay Area Counties are in the top ten for agricultural revenue produced in the state.

    These countries include:

    • Hillsborough County: Third in the state, producing 704 million dollars in agricultural revenue)
    • Manatee County: Seventh in the state, producing 322 million dollars in agricultural revenue)
    • Polk County: Eighth in the state, producing 304 million dollars in agricultural 

    READ MORE: Hillsborough budget chief says $60M needed to cover non-FEMA-backed hurricane cleanup costs

    "If immediate action is not taken, we are at risk of losing significant agriculture, aquaculture, and silviculture operations in this region due to circumstances beyond our farmers’ control," Simpson’s letter later said.

    According to Simpson, Florida is still awaiting federal government assistance for Hurricanes Idalia and Debby and urges the federal government to grant aid to Florida as soon as possible.

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