Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced its predictions for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. While there is a higher likelihood for below average activity in the Atlantic Basin, even one storm can have extreme impacts for those in the affected areas.
Image Credits: NOAA
This is why preparation for the upcoming hurricane season is critical, and the best time remains now to ensure preparedness for the wide range of impacts that a hurricane can have. This includes preparing for the damages and losses that may affect Florida’s agricultural industries.
With 9.7 million acres of farmland that produce over $8 billion in crops, livestock, and animal products annually, and some form of agriculture present in every county, Florida agriculture is vital to our cultural heritage, our state economy, and our global food systems.
While the potential impacts from wind and flooding during any hurricane event can be severe, Florida’s producers are resilient. They have navigated hurricane seasons for hundreds of years, with many family farms persisting through multiple generations. However, when a hurricane strikes, the necessity of timely, accurate information for decision-making makes it crucial to adhere to best practices for assessing and reporting agricultural losses and damages. At every level of this process, producer participation informs and shapes outcomes.
Preparation for potential disaster damage and loss assessments should begin now, before a storm occurs. Producers should secure a thorough and complete record of all important farm records. This includes business records, insurance information, and visual documentation of the farm and equipment as it exists now. It is good to have multiple copies of this information, both physical and digital, and make sure they are stored in secure locations.
If you are an agricultural producer in Florida, and disaster strikes:
- Before doing anything, ensure you, your family, individuals involved with your farm operation, and your animals are safe and secure. If you need farm assistance, the Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART) coordinates large animal response and rescue operations as well as efforts to address other unmet agricultural needs across the state in the aftermath of a storm.
- Second, assess and document all losses and damages experienced by your operation. Take pictures of everything with time and location stamps enabled and contact the necessary organizations (e.g., your insurance office, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency [USDA FSA], USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service [USDA-NRCS], etc.) that might need to visit or receive this documentation BEFORE any clean up or repair efforts begin. Afterward, thoroughly document all clean-up and repair work that follows (even if you complete it yourself).
- Finally, report your experiences to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency and the UF/IFAS EIAP. These groups are both formally and informally involved in various decision-making processes related to agricultural response, relief, and recovery when disasters strike Florida.
Immediately after each hurricane, experts from the University of Florida Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) within the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) began work to estimate the agricultural production losses associated with hurricane impacts.
While the UF/IFAS EIAP assessment is not a formal component of a specific government agency’s decision process, the results are shared with administrators at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the United States Department of Agriculture, United States Economic Development Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as with state-level industry associations.
Results are used for managing emergency planning exercises, emergency response specific to agriculture and natural resource systems, and strategies for adjustment or development of policy tools associated with resilience at the local, state, and national levels. More generally, the assessment results improve public understanding of the economic importance of agriculture in our state and how this sector is impacted by disaster events.
Now is the time, during blue skies, to establish relationships with organizations involved in the agricultural assessment process. We encourage producers to learn more about Florida SART and reach out to their local UF/IFAS Extension office as well as their local USDA Service Center, where they can learn more about disaster-related resources available.
Additional Resources
For guidance on preparing for agricultural damage and loss assessments:
- 5 Steps for Agricultural Damage and Loss Assessment and Reporting (Fact Sheet)
- Preparing for Agricultural Damage and Loss Assessments Following Hurricane Milton (Blog)
- FE1147/FE1147: Disaster Assistance for Agriculture in Florida following Hurricane Idalia (ufl.edu)
For more resources about all stages of Disaster Preparation, Response and Recovery:
For more information about UF/IFAS EIAP Involvement in Agricultural Disaster Assessment in Florida:
- EIAP Agricultural Impact Analysis (Website)
- When Winter Strikes: How Freeze and Drought Reshape Florida Agriculture (Cow Talks Podcast: Two Part Episode)
- Frequently Asked Questions about UF/IFAS Agricultural Damage and Loss Assessment (Website).
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