Helene Report

The following data depicts a summary of preliminary losses suffered by Georgia's agricultural community as a result of Hurricane Helene. These figures are depicted in the millions of dollars.

In total, Hurricane Helene will cost Georgia’s economy an estimated $6.46 billion in agricultural and timber losses, according to the preliminary damage assessment produced in coordination with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the Office of Gov. Brian P. Kemp, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Forestry Commission. This assessment was presented during an Oct. 10 press conference that can be viewed here: Agricultural Damage from Hurricane Helene.

The following figures represent losses to Georgia's cotton, peanut, tobacco, pecan, vegetable, soybean, citrus, blueberry and nursery crops, as well as dairy, beef cattle and poultry industries. These figures have been gathered by UGA Cooperative Extension agents and specialists working in each of Georgia's 159 counties. Timber damage estimates have been provided by the Georgia Forestry Commission and the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

NOTES:

• Fields left blank depict areas where data is not applicable or loss is currently unknown.

OVERALL KNOWN LOSSES (in millions of dollars)

KNOWN LOSSES BY COMMODITY (in millions of dollars)

* More information on timber losses is available in a subsequent table.

** No split available.

TIMBER

The TreeS-DIP map showed that 8,931,000 acres of forestland was located in Hurricane Helene's path with 1,470,000 acres receiving the majority of timber damage from the storm. Of the 8,931,000 total acres traversed, Helene caused a total timber resource impact of $1,28 billion in Georgia. More information on timber losses is available in a subsequent table.

PECANS
The latest farm gate value for pecans in Georgia is $400,790,725, which represents 2.19% of the total farm gate value of the state. A significant number of pecan trees have been completely uprooted and blown over. Pecan trees must reach 7 years old before growers begin to see productivity, so future income losses encompass the cost of replanting and caring for trees for the next seven years while growers wait for trees to reach productive maturity.

POULTRY
Poultry is the leading agricultural commodity in Georgia, accounting for more than 1/3 of the total farm gate value of the state. The poultry industry saw major losses due to Hurricane Helene, with more than 165 houses destroyed and another 500 that must be repaired or rebuilt entirely before they can be used.  Some of these houses were filled with chickens, meaning the loss of animal life and costs associated with depopulation and disposal are significant.  Further, income losses due to houses being unavailable for continued production are included in our loss figures and contribute significantly to overall losses incurred.

NURSERY
The latest farm gate value for greenhouse, field and container nurseries in Georgia is a combined $1,083,715,473, which is 5.91% of the total farm gate value of the state. Hurricane Helene caused significant infrastructure damage to Georgia’s nursery industry. Along with irrigation systems and other critical infrastructure, many greenhouses were either destroyed or severely damaged, forcing some growers to sell plants on short notice to avoid further losses.

COTTON
The latest farm gate value for cotton in Georgia is $1,311,533,294, which represents 7.15% of the total farm gate value of the state. Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to the 2024 crop, with a projected loss of about 32.6% of the crop, or 500,000 to 600,000 bales lost overall.

BEEF CATTLE
The latest farm gate value for beef cattle in Georgia is $729,973,522, which represents 3.98% of the total farm gate value of the state. Although there was little loss of animal life across the affected area, there was significant damage to fencing and other infrastructure. Producers were managing herds on much smaller acreage, which increased feed costs, and many were forced to truck in water for their cattle due to the loss of power to electric wells.

VEGETABLES
The latest farm gate value for vegetables in Georgia is $1,305,083,700, which represents 7.1% of the total farm gate value of the state. Hurricane Helene most heavily impacted the current fall crop, including cucumbers, zucchini and squash, as well as onion seed beds. Of the fall crop, which represents 35% of the total farm gate value for vegetables in Georgia, there is an anticipated loss of approximately 25-30% of the year’s crop.

DAIRY
The latest farm gate value for dairy cattle in Georgia is $378,370,162, which represents 2.06% of the total farm gate value of the state. The majority of losses in the dairy industry were in infrastructure and feed loss. With many dairy barns and milking facilities damaged by the winds and fallen trees, producers are also facing issues with damage to silage pits and loss of milk production due to disrupted feed and water access. 

BLUEBERRIES
The latest farm gate value for blueberries in Georgia is $449,363,632, which represents 2.45% of the total farm gate value of the state. There was no actual fruit loss as a result of the storm, but many plants were severely damaged or completely pulled out of the ground. The majority of the losses for the blueberry industry are a result of replanting costs.

PEANUTS
The latest farm gate value for peanuts in Georgia is $790,820,291, which represents 4.31% of the total farm gate value of the state. Although much of our state’s peanuts had not yet been harvested and remained in the ground when Hurricane Helene hit, power was quickly restored to buying points so that growers could harvest their crops in a timely manner.

CITRUS
The latest farm gate value for citrus in Georgia is $22,399,571, which represents 0.12% of the total farm gate value of the state. 2024 promised to be a record year for the Georgia citrus industry, with many young trees producing their first crop and others producing their first large crop since 2022’s freeze. As a rapidly growing industry in Georgia, Hurricane Helene damage will impact Georgia citrus’ ability to produce the crop expected in 2024.

SOYBEANS
The latest farm gate value for soybeans in Georgia is $103,229,081, which represents 0.56% of the total farm gate value of the state. Winds from Hurricane Helene had varying effects on the crops, blowing over some of the taller plants and tangling up some of the shorter ones.

TOBACCO
The latest farm gate value for tobacco in Georgia is $33,995,068, which represents 0.19% of the total farm gate value of the state. Georgia tobacco producers were heavily impacted by Hurricane Debby, which caused widespread flooding across tobacco-producing areas in early August 2024. As a result, tobacco producers lost approximately 45% of their crops before Hurricane Helene impacted the area. Helene caused significant damage to tobacco curing barns and greenhouses in the area.

OTHER LOSSES DEFINED (in millions of dollars)

Fields left blank depict areas where data is not applicable or the loss is currently unknown.  Industries represented in the above table that are not included below have reported no losses beyond the losses listed above.

* The $129.6 million indicated here is split between $61.6 million in quality loss and $68 million cotton seed meal loss.

TIMBER LOSSES (in millions of dollars)

Light: Less than 10% of timber damaged per acre. Typically, branches and limbs broken from the tree with minor damage to the overall stand and trees bent less than 45 degrees. No salvage operation will be necessary, and the stand should recover with no additional management requirements, though long-term yields will likely be impacted.

Moderate: 10% to 50% of timber damaged per acre. Branches, limbs and tops broken from trees, and trees bent more than 45 degrees. A salvage operation should be considered for stands with more than 25% of stems broken to minimize losses and remove trees that likely will not survive.

Catastrophic/Severe: Greater than 50% of timber damaged per acre. Tops broken out across the stand, limbs stripped and trees bent more than 45 degrees. A salvage operation must be considered, and a clear-cut may be the prudent management decision.

If you are a member of the media or press and need further information, please contact Jordan Powers.