FEATURE | for the crop
Weather Wise
Tips for Hurricane Prep and Post-Storm Management
We are now officially in another hurricane season, and it’s a good time to think about how to prepare your farm for a possible major storm. Florida has been impacted by 11 hurricanes since 2000, including Helene and Milton in 2024.
The three major causes of plant damage from hurricanes are wind damage, flooding, and disease.
Wind Damage
Hurricane-force winds are sustained winds of at least 74 mph (Category 1 storm), and can increase to over 156 mph with a Category 5 storm. Hurricane-force winds, as well as tropical storm force winds (between 39 and 73 mph), can cause significant physical damage to blueberry plants, including defoliation (Figure 1) and uprooting.
Untimely defoliation can have a negative impact on blueberry production the following spring. Most blueberry flower bud initiation in Florida occurs in late summer and throughout the fall. A full complement of healthy leaves is needed at that time for optimal flower bud initiation and subsequent flower bud development. Early fall defoliation can potentially reduce flower bud numbers as well as reduce the number of florets (and potential berries) per flower bud. The impact of defoliation and other wind damage to remaining leaves could be even more critical for blueberry plants grown in an evergreen system, where healthy foliage is needed throughout the fall, winter, and early spring.
Figure 1. Blueberry plant foliage damage from hurricane force winds
Credits: D. Phillips, UF/IFAS
Blueberry plants are typically shallow-rooted and hurricane-force winds can damage plants by uprooting them, resulting in the need to reset and stake these plants. Exposed root systems of uprooted plants can be damaged quickly under hot, sunny conditions. Also, breakage of woody stems and the root system can significantly impair transport of water and nutrients throughout the plant, and wounds also provide entry points for several stem and root pathogens including Botryosphaeria stem blight, sometimes months after the wind damage and plant stresses occur.
Flooding
Flooding from a hurricane or tropical storm can create multiple problems for blueberries because there can be standing water in the fields for several days following a significant storm (Figure 2). Blueberry plants generally do not tolerate saturated soil conditions well.
Figure 1. Blueberry farm flooding from Hurricane Ian
Credits: D. Chapman
Flooding can result in root death due to greatly reduced oxygen levels in the root zone under saturated soil conditions (hypoxia). Flooding injury can negatively impact plant health by reducing root and shoot growth, leaf number and expansion, and nutrient uptake. Leaf abscission, reduced flower bud number, smaller flower buds and fruit, and reduced yield may occur. The effects of flooding on plant health may not be readily apparent for several months following the storm. Minimizing the length of time that flooded conditions persist by pumping water from the field may help to limit the damage. One disease that thrives in flooded conditions is Phytophthora root rot.
Disease
The three factors that must be present for plant disease are an active pathogen, favorable environmental conditions for disease development, and a susceptible host. Each of these factors can be affected by a hurricane.
Pathogen: High winds, wind-driven rain, and rising surface water can spread pathogens into and throughout a production field to areas where they may not have been present previously.
Environment: Flooded soils and extended rainfall associated with major storms, along with the hot and humid conditions common in Florida during summer and early fall, are ideal conditions for successful pathogen infections into blueberry plants. As mentioned previously, Phytophthora root rot and bacterial wilt are examples of blueberry diseases that thrive under high soil moisture conditions and warm soil temperatures.
Plant Host: Blueberry plants that suffer the types of storm damage discussed above are considerably stressed and weakened. Such plants are more susceptible to pathogen infection and disease development when compared to healthy plants. Increased susceptibility means a greater likelihood of disease developing, and more severe symptoms where disease does occur.
Blueberry growers should consider the following pre-storm preparations and post-storm management items to help minimize these impacts.
Before the Storm: Farm Preparations
• Check fields for surface water drainage. Ensure that ditches, canals, areas between beds, and the ends of rows are clear and that water can flow freely out of production fields.
• Make sure to have sufficient diesel fuel on hand to operate farm equipment and drainage pumps.
• Check that generators and chainsaws are working properly.
• Scout for potential debris and secure items that may be propelled by strong winds before the storm.
• Purchase materials for resetting plants blown over during the storm (e.g., bamboo or fiberglass stakes, tie tape, replacement plastic sleeves).
• Purchase mefenoxam-containing products (e.g., Ridomil, Ultra Flourish, Orondis, etc.) and phosphorous acid products (“phytes”) to manage Phytophthora root rot in
case of prolonged flooded conditions, if not applied in the few months preceding the storm (see comments under After the Storm below).
• Secure important records and documents, including production records, financial records, and insurance documents. Take photos and videos of the production area.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management has additional hurricane preparation information at https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/preparing-for-hurricane-season/.
After the Storm: Management Suggestions
The following best management practices should be consistently applied after a hurricane:
• Record damage with photos and videos for insurance purposes prior to any recovery activities. Good recordkeeping is important to document any losses suffered. Include detailed production records from prior years and any pictures or video from shortly before the storm if possible.
• Contact crop insurance agent.
• Make sure your acreage and other information is up to date with FSA (www.farmers.gov).
• Reset and stake uprooted lodged plants as quickly as possible to reduce losses from desiccation and plant death, and replace damaged plastic sleeves.
• Examine irrigation systems when waters recede to ensure they are functioning properly so regular irrigation can continue without interruption.
• Repair raised beds and weed cloth, and resume bed irrigation and pH monitoring, adjusting as necessary.
• Prune out broken or damaged canes.
• Replace dead or severely damaged plants from the field and burn, bury, or compost away from production areas.
• Carefully monitor irrigation after the storm and rains pass to prevent further drought stress in plants with damaged root systems.
• Resume scheduled fertilizer applications after waters have receded and when beds begin to drain. Consider reducing the rates of nitrogen where plants have been stressed and begin to slowly return to recommended timings and rates for the given deciduous or evergreen production system. If fertilizer or other soil-applied chemicals were present before the storm, be aware of the potential for leaching of these materials out of the root zone and assess if and when to reapply.
• Look for disease symptoms and insect pests. Apply management and control suggestions as appropriate; see EDIS Publication HS1156, “Florida Blueberry
Integrated Pest Management Guide.” (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS380)
• Ideally, applications of Ridomil or another mefenoxam fungicide that help prevent Phytophthora root rot will have already been made in early summer prior to hurricane activity. Two applications of these products per year are allowed, and where a second application was not made earlier, consider making that application prior to a predicted storm impact when possible. When not possible, the second application can be made after waters have receded either in a banded bed application or through certain irrigation systems. (Consult the product label for more details.) These applications can help prevent root rot development, but they will not cure severely affected plants or those dying from flooding (hypoxia). Also consider making foliar applications of phosphorous acid products (“phytes”) for Phytophthora root rot, and drench or banded soil applications for Ralstonia bacterial wilt when field conditions allow.
For additional information see UF/IFAS EDIS Publication HS1342, Impacts of Hurricane Damage on Southern Highbush Blueberries (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1342). The points listed above were taken from this publication, and much of the information above was presented in The Blueberry News articles from the summers of 2024 and 2025. Also see UF/IFAS EDIS Publication HS1485, Government Agency Resources for Florida Blueberry Growers (https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1485).
CREDITS:
DOUG PHILLIPS, UF/IFAS
Dr. JEFFREY WILLIAMSON, UF/IFAS
Dr. PHIL HARMON, UF/IFAS
