Forest ThreatNet

A single hurricane can cause over $1 billion in agricultural losses, and the intensity of hurricanes is increasing due to climate change. Therefore, the USDA Southeast Climate Hub published state-specific hurricane preparation and recovery guides for 23 economically important commodities in the Southeast U.S. These guides will reduce economic loss and increase the reliability of food and wood product supplies from the region.

Hurricanes cause billions of dollars in agricultural losses each year as climate change continues to drive more severe hurricane seasons. Producers need to minimize their losses and reduce their post-hurricane recovery time to remain profitable. Therefore, in 2021, the USDA Southeast Climate Hub published regional hurricane preparation and recovery guides for 23 economically important commodities in the Southeast U.S. These guides were co-produced with, and well received by the Extension and forestry communities in the region. Building off this success, in 2022 the Climate Hub tailored the information in the regional guides to focus on state-specific needs and resources for the eight southeastern coastal U.S. states most impacted by hurricanes. Theses state-specific guides present management practices designed to reduce economic loss and decrease recovery time. The guides include steps that producers can follow to build operational resilience to hurricane impacts and increase personal safety in the long- and short-term, and speed up recovery. As hurricanes become more severe and destructive, the importance of effective and timely resources such as these guides will continue to grow. This work aligns with USDA Strategic Goal 1.2 to lead efforts to adapt to the consequences of climate change in agriculture and forestry.