Hurricane Preparedness For Citrus Groves

Any hurricane or severe tropical storm poses a threat to all of south Florida's shallow-rooted citrus trees. Strong winds blow fruit off trees with larger fruit being most susceptible to loss or damage; however, tree damage resulting from wind and 12-20 inches of rain could be the most severe and lasting injury. In addition to rain, high tides caused by wind blowing toward land may cause saltwater flooding several miles inland. It also may be caused by the damaging effect of high tides raising the level of water in bays, estuaries, and rivers and preventing rainfall from running off groves. While a hurricane has the potential to inflict heavy damage on any grove, growers who have developed hurricane plans prior to the event have the best chance of minimizing losses.

The link address is: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ch178