Hurricane preparation and recovery guidance for pine forest landowners in the southeastern US.
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 pine forest landowners in the Southeast U.S. These guides will help improve the reliability of wood product supplies and reduce economic loss from the region.
Hurricanes and tropical storms cause billions of dollars in forestry losses each year as climate change continues to drive more severe hurricane seasons. Forest landowners need to minimize their losses and reduce their post-hurricane recovery time to remain profitable. Therefore, in 2021, the USDA Southeast Climate Hub published a regional hurricane preparation and recovery guide for pine forest landowners in the Southeast U.S. This guide was co-produced with, and well received by the Extension and forestry communities in the region. Building on 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 pine forest landowners can follow to build operational resilience to hurricane impacts (e.g., site and species selection, recordkeeping, professional relationships), increase personal safety and operational resilience to hurricane impacts in the long- and short-term, and speed up recovery when hurricanes and tropical storms occur. 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.
