In the small farming community of Lyons, Georgia, the impact of Hurricane Helene is still very much evident. Over two months after the storm tore through the South, Chris Hopkins continues to clear his farm of debris. The remnants include twisted irrigation equipment and broken tree branches, remnants of a fierce storm that made its way across the region.
Hopkins, who farms cotton, corn, and peanuts in Toombs County, has been grappling with a flood of emotions since the hurricane hit. “It’s tough to decide if we should just walk away or rebuild again,” he reflected. Like many farmers across the South, he is still feeling the loss after Helene crashed ashore in Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, then moved north, causing severe damage in Georgia and beyond.
The storm is estimated to have caused more than $10 billion in losses to farmers and agribusinesses from Florida to Virginia. This staggering amount includes destroyed crops, uprooted trees, and damaged equipment. For farmers like Hopkins, Helene made its mark right before the fall harvest, forcing many to delay cleanup efforts in hopes of salvaging what they could.
Georgia farmers alone suffered at least $5.5 billion in losses, according to a study from the University of Georgia. In neighboring North Carolina, losses were calculated at around $3.1 billion, while Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida also faced significant financial setbacks.
Hopkins noted that he lost about half of his cotton crop over 1,400 acres. “We were at our most vulnerable,” he explained, pointing out that the cotton was ready to be harvested when the storm struck. Unfortunately, nearly half of it ended up lost on the ground. Even with insurance coverage, he estimates his losses at around $430,000, not counting the costs of cleanup and repairs for his equipment.
The storm significantly impacted not only cotton fields but also pecan orchards and vegetable crops. Poultry farms were not spared either, with many chicken houses getting destroyed. The winds from Helene reached far beyond the storm’s eye, affecting farmers hundreds of miles away.
Despite the severe losses, relief has been slow to come. In November, the Georgia government reallocated $100 million intended for construction projects to assist farmers affected by the storm. Governor Brian Kemp has emphasized the need for more support as the state moves into the next legislative session.
However, Georgia’s constitution restricts the use of state funds for direct assistance to individuals or private companies, complicating recovery efforts. At the federal level, there are plans for disaster aid in ongoing budget discussions, but many farmers like Jeffrey Pridgen are already feeling the pressure. Pridgen, a poultry farmer, lost significant infrastructure and income due to the storm’s destruction.
Georgia’s poultry industry alone estimates losses at around $683 million. Farmers are left in a rebuilding phase, with some poultry processing plants reducing their operations due to the impacted supply.
While the overall impact on consumer prices may be minimal due to alternative crop sources, there could still be noticeable effects for specific products, such as pecans where Georgia leads in production. As many farmers still recover from the loss, cotton growers face both immediate and long-term challenges.
The emotional toll of such disasters cannot be ignored, and with farmers still rebuilding, there is a collective sense that everyone in the community has been affected in some way. As the South continues to recover, the focus remains on resilience and support for those who feed the nation.
