Damages to farmers and ranchers from Hurricane Milton may double the statewide agricultural destruction from three other storms that pummeled Florida since August 2023, according to state

Hurricane Milton singlehandedly wrecked as much havoc on Florida's agriculture as three other major hurricanes combined, according to new estimates from the state's agriculture department. Milton, a Category 3 hurricane that made landfall on Florida's western coast on October 9,

Hurricane Milton caused an estimated $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion in damage to Florida's crops and agricultural infrastructure, according to a preliminary assessment released by the state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Thursday.

Water did much of Hurricane Milton’s damage in Florida — but unlike Helene just two weeks earlier, it wasn’t just from the record storm surge that swept over Gulf Coast beaches and communities. Milton was a massive rainmaker — overflowing canals,