ESI was contracted by the Florida Division of Forestry to assess wind damage to timber resources subjected to sustained hurricane force winds during the 2004 hurricane season. The assessment area included approximately 4 million acres of forested land within 36 counties across the State of Florida and included damage associated with the following four, 2004 hurricanes: Charlie, Frances, Iven, & Jeanne.

This was accomplished by aerial survey, followed by the installation of over 700 ground-truthing plots. These plots were randomly located on public and private lands, and required significant coordination to obtain access.

The final assessment report and graphics includes a summary of timber damage for the entire State, acres/volume/value of timber damage by county, and a breakdown of forest cover type by product class and ownership. This was supplemented by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) shapefiles describing damage areas delineated and ground plots installed.