Plain Language Summary Extreme weather events pose a major risk for agriculture. In the Southeastern United States, the peak hurricane season overlaps with the end of the crop year. As cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. ) begins to mature, the fiber is exposed and easily displaced by wind, making the crop vulnerable to hurricanes. Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26, 2024, in the Big Bend region of Florida and traveled across Georgia. Prior to landfall, efforts were made to estimate cotton losses to quickly inform state and federal agencies following the storm. One hundred samples were collected from 34 counties in Georgia. Overall losses were estimated at 32. 6% statewide, resulting in >350 million in direct losses. It was also determined that in a situation such as Hurricane Helene, defoliated cotton did not incur more severe losses than non‐defoliated cotton, which will impact future management decisions. Although the collected data were estimates, this paper provides methods for determining preliminary losses from hurricanes in cotton.
Hand et al. (Thu,) studied this question.