While Tropical Storm Isaac has worried many growers in the southeast portion of the United States, growers in Florida are feeling lucky now that the storm has missed their state.Though the storm was downgraded from hurricane status, Florida citrus and tomato growers were plenty worried before it was apparent Isaac would mostly miss their state. But as the storm drifted westward, and eventually slowed, it was clear the storm would have little impact on the state's crops.
“We got some weather, but we weren't in the direct path of the storm,” said Reggie Brown, manager for the Florida Tomato Committee. “It didn't hit our crop, so it didn't make much of an impact. For us, the storm is already old news. We're looking forward now.”
Similarly, the state's citrus growers reported no damage from the storm.
“We got some rain, but there was no damage from the wind or from anything else,” said Andrew Meadows, director of communications for Florida Citrus Mutual. “We were fortunate not to be in the path of the storm, and even the rain we got was not enough to impact our crops in any way. We're relieved we were spared and are just keeping our fingers crossed for the next few months.”
Farther west, and closer to the storm's effects, Mississippi's sweet potato growers have also been spared weather damage. But being closer to the center of Isaac, they are still cautious, especially because of the importance of their crop to the state.
“We're one of the biggest crops in the state, so any damage would have a big impact,” said Benny Graves, executive director of the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council. At an estimated value of $80 million per year, the storm and its impact had growers worried because they are still in the midst of their harvest. But, Graves noted, the news so far has been good.
“We started the harvest early to get ahead of the storm, and the forecast so far has been some rain, but no damage,” he said. He reported that some growers were expecting two inches of rain from the storm, but that wouldn't be a problem unless it got up to at least five inches. With those favorable estimates, Graves is optimistic, but still wary.
“The crop looks good this year,” he said. “So with no damage from the storm, we have the potential for an above-average year. But we just have to wait and see what happens.”