Trees brought down by Hurricane Michael’s ferocious winds took a heavy toll on life, property and the timber industry in the heavily forested Florida Panhandle, where $1.3 billion in timber was lost, authorities said Friday.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said that along with the $1.3 billion in timber losses, pulp mills, sawmills and other production facilities were damaged in 11 of the top timber-producing counties in state.
“This is a catastrophic loss to the forest industry in the Florida Panhandle,” Putnam said in a news release.
Officials also were concerned that downed trees could pose a fire hazard.
Forest Service Director Jim Karels said the danger grows as the debris dries. The agency is working to clear the debris and establish fire lines that could help contain forest fire, he said.
___
Associated Press writers Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida, and Freida Frisaro in Miami contributed to this report.
Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Profit Loss Hurricane
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Pipeline Explodes at Delfin LNG Planned Project in Louisiana 
US Appeals Court Rejects Challenge to Trump’s Efforts to Ban DEI 
Married Insurance Brokers Indicted for Allegedly Running $750K Fraud Scheme 
Nine-Month 2025 Results Show P/C Underwriting Gain Skyrocketed 
