Bracing for Fallout: Second Hurricane hits Florida just as producers clean up from Ian

early morning flooded road from hurricane ian_Photo by pelow media_AdobeStock_537370206.jpg

A flooded road after Hurricane Ian.

Producers in Florida are once again bracing for fallout from another hurricane.

Hurricane Nicole made landfall overnight near Vero Beach and is now working its way up the East Coast as a tropical storm. Right now, winds are blowing at 60 miles per hour and Meteorologist Tim Ross says it should be a fast-moving storm that will travel all the way up to New England.

Heavy rain is expected along Nicole’s path, but given its speed, Meteorologist Brad Rippey says the sugar cane harvest should be safe.

“We still see some critically low river levels in the Mississippi Basin. Especially from the mid-Mississippi Valley, southward river levels have risen a few feet, generally one to three feet from the record lows that we saw back in October. But we’ve got a ways to go before w can turn this around in terms of rising river levels.”

This week’s USDA numbers showed 58 percent of U.S. topsoil moisture conditions is short to very short.

Related Stories
Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition shares how extreme winter weather is affecting the ag transportation network and what producers should keep in mind as conditions slowly improve.
Matt Brockman, Communications Director for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, joined us with a look at how the legendary event is moving forward—weather and all.
Lewis Williamson of HTS Commodities joined us with an update on the historic winter storm impacts and his outlook on today’s ag markets.
Marilyn Schlake with the UNL Department of Agricultural Economics joined us for a closer look at the evolving role of livestock sale barns.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening joined us with the latest update on storm conditions and impacts across the state.
Mike Knotts with the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association joined us with the latest on storm impacts, power restoration, and safety considerations following the ice storm.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Dr. Jeffrey Gold provides insights on supporting aging populations in rural communities on this week’s Rural Health Matters segment.
OHFB President Bill Patterson shares an update from Washington on the group’s policy priorities and the issues shaping agriculture ahead of the 2026 planting season.
Ben Kurtzman with American Farmland Trust discusses the growing pressure on farmland and ranchland and the steps being taken to help conserve farms and ranches across the country ,as unrest in the Middle East adds more obstacles for producers.
NRECA CEO Jim Matheson warns that rising electricity demand from AI and data centers could strain the grid and affect rural electric cooperatives if U.S. power infrastructure cannot keep up.
Tidal Grow’s AlignN delivers encapsulated nitrogen to leaves, boosting in-season response, yield gains, and farm profits.