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Hurricane Floyd - Update
October 12, 1999
During September 1999, three tropical systems -- Hurricane Floyd and Tropical Storms Dennis and Harvey -- and several strong cold fronts contributed to drought-ending rains along the Atlantic Seaboard, but Floyd and subsequent rainfall caused extensive flooding and property damage in the eastern Mid-Atlantic region. The worst damage was in eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. Cotton, peanut, tobacco, and soybean production levels were reduced in the production estimates released by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) October 8, 1999 and harvest progress was slowed due to wet and muddy fields. NASS estimated that 60,000 acres of cotton would be abandoned in North Carolina and yields reduced from early forecasts. Eastern North Carolina tobacco growers experienced yield reductions and "harvested area" declined by 10,000 acres from previous forecasts. Fortunately some fields were over 50 percent harvested at the time that Floyd hit or losses would have been even greater. Virginia and North Carolina peanut production estimates were reduced, down 16 percent from September's forecast. Soybean yield estimates were lowered by 3 bushels from earlier estimates in North Carolina due to excessive wetness and storm damage.
On September 24, 1999 the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division of FAS released its initial report and displayed NOAA 14 satellite images of eastern North Carolina, before and after Hurricane Floyd. Satellite images from as recent as October 5, indicate that some areas are still suffering from standing water, particularly along the Neuse and Tar Rivers. Here are two comparison high resolution SPOT satellite scenes from Johnston Co., at Smithfield, along the Neuse River.
Imagery:
Slide 1: Before Hurricane Floyd, July 10, 1999
Slide 2: After Hurricane Floyd, October 1, 1999
For more information, you may contact the author, Carl Gernazio, of the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division of FAS at (202) 690-0136.
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