A preliminary report from the University of Florida's Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) indicates that Hurricane Milton caused agricultural production losses with an estimated value between $190.4 million and $642.7 million in Florida.

The report is based on diverse baseline data and surveys distributed by UF/IFAS agricultural economists to producers.  

Milton landed as a Category 3 storm on Oct. 9 near Siesta Key. Between Oct. 6 and Oct. 12, it generated significant tornado activity. Hurricane-force winds impacted 14 Florida counties: Brevard, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, and Volusia. 

An additional 43 Florida counties experienced tropical storm-force winds. Rainfall was concentrated in the western and central regions of the state, and some southwestern areas experienced cumulative totals above 18 inches between Oct. 6 and Oct. 12.

Flood levels reached 15 feet on the coast and in low-lying areas. Inland, particularly around rivers, estuaries, and natural lowlands, climbed to 4 feet.

Hurricane Milton impacted more than 5.7 million acres of agricultural land in the state, producing an estimated $8.6 billion in agricultural products over multiple growing seasons each year. Sixty-eight percent of the affected land is used for animal grazing.

By comparison, Hurricane Debby, a Category 1 storm, impacted 2.2 million acres of agricultural land in early August and resulted in production losses of about $170 million, according to a soon-to-be-released final report from the EIAP. 

A preliminary EIAP report states that Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, impacted 6 million acres of agricultural land in late September and caused production losses of between $40.3 million and $162.2 million.

“Milton resulted in higher agricultural losses than Hurricane Helene, not only because it caused more intense weather conditions overall, but also because areas producing high-value commodities experienced higher-intensity weather conditions,” said Xiaohui Qiao, EIAP research assistant professor.

Isolating Hurricane Milton's impacts is challenging because the storm made landfall shortly after Helene. To address uncertainty, the preliminary Hurricane Milton report from UF/IFAS EIAP provides low and high estimates of average production losses.

These figures should not be interpreted as minimum and maximum values.

“We had to do some quick thinking and make adjustments to both the data and the methods that we used for our Hurricane Milton analysis to account for the quick succession of Hurricanes Helene and Milton as well as the tornado outbreak that accompanied Hurricane Milton,” said Christa Court, UF/IFAS EIAP director.  

The low and high estimates of production losses in the current growing or marketing season for the commodity groups that experienced the highest production losses include:

• Vegetables, melons and potatoes: $52.5 million (low); $233 million (high)
• Greenhouse, nursery: $66.9 million (low); $177 million (high)
• Animals and animal products: $29.4 million (low); $86.5 million (high)

Heavy winds and flooding largely impacted vegetables, melons, and potatoes. Growers reported substantial impacts of flooding to potatoes and beans and of wind to crops, including peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, and cauliflower. Production losses for greenhouses and nurseries resulted from structural damage and loss of electricity. 

Losses related to animal operations are often due to stressed, sickened, or deceased animals, but they can also be attributed to damaged fencing; reduced quantity or quality of available feed; damaged livestock, aquaculture, and apiculture structures; closure of aquaculture harvest; and power outages.

“Some growers have delayed winter crop planting due to Helene and Milton, disrupting the production schedule and potentially affecting the value of future harvests,” according to the report.

UF/IFAS EIAP reports rely heavily on agricultural producers’ survey responses. In addition to improving public understanding of the economic importance of agriculture, the information collected is used to improve the industry’s resilience by informing disaster response and recovery, emergency planning exercises, and policy discussions.

Economists will continue to collect data related to Hurricane Milton through 2025. The information supplied will be used in the program’s final report on the storm, which is expected within the first quarter of 2025. It will also support broader studies of the effects of extreme weather events on agriculture and inform assessments of future events.

Report impacts from Hurricane Milton and access the economists’ preliminary report on the UF/IFAS EIAP website.

Photo: UF/IFAS