Tropical weather
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The official hurricane forecast for the Atlantic basin from Colorado State University was released yesterday. It shows that they are expecting slightly fewer storms than usual for the basin, due in part to the continuing influence of the weak to moderate El Niño that is occurring now. You can read the official forecast here and…
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IFAS posted a story last week which discussed the increase in weeds that are likely coming to pastures this years. The wet conditions may encourage some weeds, and the increase in sunlight due to the large number of downed trees will stimulate the growth of many more. You can read more about the problems that…
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The Tampa Bay Times reported this week that a large number of dead trees remaining on the ground following Hurricane Michael last year contributed to the spread of a wildfire near Panama City to almost 600 acres. Authorities note that because there is so much dead vegetation on the ground this year after the storm…
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Here’s an audio story on the huge decreases in pecan production that happened in 2018 due to the impacts of Hurricane Michael (as well as Irma in 2017, which also blew down a lot of trees). In Georgia it cut the production from 105 million pounds in 2017 to 56 million pounds in 2018, and…
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The Weather Channel recently released this 11-minute video which talks to farmers in southwest Georgia about their experiences with the aftermath of Hurricane Michael and what it has meant for their life and future as farming families. How have they been able to cope with the economic losses sustained in the storm and what are…
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While the 2017 hurricane season is long since gone, parts of the US that were under its impact are still returning to life. Atlas Obscura has an interesting story (originally published in the Huffington Post) about the reblooming of an ancient ceiba tree on the Island of Vieques off the east coast of Puerto Rico.…
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The Southeast Farm Press posted a retrospective story this week on the 2018 weather impacts on the Tobacco Belt. Intense heat early in the season was followed by heavy rains. Hurricane Florence destroyed a lot of the tops of the tobacco plants with strong winds and heavy rain, the most valuable part of the crop.…