Florida
Florida agricultural losses add up following Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene, a major storm that made landfall in late September in Taylor County, inflicted up to $162.2 million in agricultural losses in Florida.
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS, on Tuesday released a report estimating losses from Helene. Helene closely followed the path of Hurricane Debby, which made landfall in August in Taylor County.
Combined, the two storms caused estimated agricultural losses of $134 million to $425 million, according to Tuesday’s report and an earlier UF/IFAS report about Debby.
Helene resulted in an estimated $40.3 million to $162.2 million in losses, with the total expected to be narrowed in the coming months. Debby led to an estimated $93.7 million to $263.2 million in losses.
“There were some things that weren’t in the path or weren’t at risk of Hurricane Helene because they were already damaged by Hurricane Debby,” Christa Court, UF/IFAS economic impact analysis program director, said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
A damage survey showed larger effects from Debby, which was a more rain-intense storm with more flooding than Helene, which moved rapidly through Florida before heading north, Court said.
Court also said some farmers had not replanted between Debby, which made landfall Aug. 5, and Helene, which made landfall Sept. 26.
Hurricane Milton hit the state Oct. 9, making landfall in Sarasota County. Data on the impacts from Milton is still being collected.
During a legislative organization session Tuesday, Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican who is a citrus grower, expressed a need to help farmers, along with homeowners, affected by the storms.
“In the days following hurricanes Helene and Milton, I spent time with several senators whose constituents were catastrophically impacted. The devastation is heartbreaking. Florida agriculture was heavily impacted. And many of our coastal communities suffered from tornadoes, wind and flooding,” Albritton said. “What’s worse is that many of these communities were still recovering from hurricanes Debbie, Idalia and Ian. Be assured, together, we are going to recover, and we are going to rebuild.”
Helene, which made landfall with 140 mph sustained winds, affected more than 6 million acres of agricultural land in Florida, mostly in North Florida’s Big Bend region, with two-thirds of the land used for livestock grazing.
Field and row crops took the biggest financial hit, with estimated losses between $12.76 million and $48.16 million, followed by losses in livestock and animal production between $11.79 million and $44.4 million.
Vegetable and melon production sustained $10.47 million to $38.22 million in losses and greenhouses and nurseries received $2.16 million to $15 million in losses. Fruit and tree-nut losses were estimated at $3.17 million to $12.13 million.
The UF/IFAS figures are mostly tied to the current growing season and don’t include damage to items such as fertilizer and feed or repairs for damaged and destroyed infrastructure.
While Helene and Debby made landfall in North Florida, Milton cut a path across the central part of the state, which includes the heart of the citrus industry.
Court said Milton data will include losses from tornadoes outside of areas where hurricane-force winds occurred.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has estimated that Milton might have caused between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion in losses.
Debby affected more than 2.2 million acres of agricultural land in Florida.
As examples of the damage, livestock losses from Debby are estimated between $41.1 million and $98.5 million. Flooding caused field crops to suffer between $19.3 million and $53.1 million in losses. Greenhouses and nurseries had up to $53.6 million in losses, including from power outages that hindered cooling and irrigation.
Debby interrupted the planting schedule for vegetables, melons and potatoes and resulted in $12.1 million to $32.1 million in anticipated losses.
Florida
Pilot program aims to build $200K homes in Central Florida to help low-income families buy, not rent
ORLANDO, Fla. – For many Central Florida families, the dream of owning a home feels further out of reach than ever.
With the median home price now topping $400,000, a new pilot program in Orlando is trying to change that by building new homes for about half the cost.
A lot off Quill Avenue in Parramore may not look like much right now, but organizers say it could soon be the site of a new home priced around $200,000 for low-income families.
“We just really wanted an opportunity to bring actual affordable housing to people who have basically been forever renters,” said Satrina Whithead with the GXVE Homes Initiative.
The GXVE Homes Initiative says the goal is to help families earning between $16,000 and $65,000 a year get a chance at homeownership. Whithead said the homes could range from 500 to 1,400 square feet, depending on the lot size and location.
The Orlando Regional Realtor Association reports the median home price in the area is now more than $400,000. Whithead said GXVE hopes to sell homes for about half that.
“There’s nothing wrong with profit, but at the end of the day, I want to help where the need is greatest,” Whithead said.
Organizers say they are already planning to build in Parramore and are working to close on two additional properties. They also say they have properties planned in Sanford and Mims, with a goal of bringing eight homes a year to Central Florida.
“You can pay 80 percent of your salary on rent just to have a place to live. So getting that number back down to around 50 percent is extremely important,” said Mike Harris, vice president of GXVE Homes.
Florida Made Tiny Homes, which is partnering with the organization, said it plans to build concrete homes that exceed safety requirements for the area.
“I don’t think there’s going to be anything available on the market in that price range, much less new construction,” said Dylan Grace, co-founder of Florida Made Tiny Homes.
Program organizers say they expect to start construction in the fall and hope to complete the first home within six to eight months after work begins. For more information please click here.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A former Florida juvenile probation officer is facing more than 100 felony charges after investigators said she leaked confidential court and law enforcement information to people tied to a drug trafficking investigation.
Crystal Gaynell Ann Lawson was booked into the Orange County Jail on Thursday, according to Orange County Corrections records.
Investigators said Lawson improperly accessed the Comprehensive Case Information System, or CCIS, more than 100 times and shared information from active criminal cases with members of a drug trafficking organization.
FOX 35 Orlando reported Lawson was arrested on 113 felony counts of computer crimes for unauthorized access. Investigators said she allegedly accessed the database 106 times between January and May.
Lawson is accused of using the database to search for active criminal cases tied to members of the organization. Authorities said some of the information that was leaked included arrest warrants and documents connected to an active investigation.
Lawson was hired by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in February 2022. As part of that job, she was given access to the CCIS database. Authorities said she was fired later that year after an arrest, but her database access was not terminated.
See also: ‘Elf,’ ‘Couples Retreat’ actor jailed with no bond after Florida arrest
Investigators said the leaks resulted in lost evidence, unrecovered assets and at least one person fleeing to avoid arrest before later being taken into custody.
Lawson previously worked for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, where she had access to the court information system as part of her job. Authorities said she was later fired, but her database access was not terminated.
Orange County Corrections records list Lawson’s case status as “presentenced” and show multiple entries for “offense against computer users.”
The records list the arresting agency as the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and show bond amounts of $10,000 on several listed case sequences. The jail record also notes an “ICJIS Affidavit.”
ORLANDO, Fla. – Strong thunderstorms continue to push across Central Florida Thursday evening, with a few storms capable of producing gusty winds, frequent lightning, torrential rainfall and isolated damage before activity gradually winds down later tonight.
The strongest storms are expected through about 10 p.m., with most of the activity weakening and moving offshore by around 11 p.m. Storms are being fueled by sea breeze collisions and abundant moisture across the state. In addition to strong wind gusts, torrential downpours could lead to ponding of water on roads and minor flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas.
While storms remain the immediate concern this evening, another round of impactful weather is expected Friday.
The News 6 Weather Team has designated Friday as a Weather Aware Day due to the combination of dangerous heat and the threat for strong to severe thunderstorms.
Before storms develop, temperatures will climb into the low to mid-90s Friday afternoon. Combined with high humidity, it will feel more like 102 to 107 degrees across much of Central Florida. Some locations could once again approach or exceed Heat Advisory criteria.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening hours. The atmosphere will be loaded with tropical moisture, allowing storms to produce frequent lightning, damaging wind gusts, and torrential rainfall.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Central Florida under a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather Friday. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could become strong enough to produce damaging winds.
In addition, the Weather Prediction Center has highlighted portions of Central Florida for a Level 1 out of 4 risk of excessive rainfall. Any storm will be capable of producing very heavy rain in a short amount of time, which could lead to localized flooding.
The unsettled pattern continues into the weekend. Storm coverage is expected to increase Saturday, and some locations could see multiple rounds of heavy rain. While a few stronger storms remain possible, the flooding threat may become a greater concern by Saturday afternoon and evening.
Looking ahead to next week, rain chances are expected to gradually decrease, but the heat is not going anywhere. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-90s, with heat index values frequently climbing above 100 degrees. Forecast guidance suggests a higher heat risk could develop once again across Central Florida as we head deeper into next week.
At the beaches, a moderate risk of rip currents continues. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard if you’re heading to the beach.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
-
West Virginia25 seconds agoStories of the Week: June 14 through June 20
-
Wyoming13 minutes ago$1 million Wyoming home sale among the week’s top property transfers
-
Crypto16 minutes agoIreland Targets Crypto Assets in New Strategy to Disrupt Illicit Cash Flows
-
Finance20 minutes agoFinancial adviser warns, ‘stay away from the hype’ of an IPO
-
Fitness28 minutes agoThe Best Fitness Trackers for Your Lifestyle, Workouts, and Goals
-
Movie Reviews36 minutes ago‘Finnegan’s Foursome’ Review: Edward Burns’ Spiky-Quaint Sports Dramedy Is a Tale of Family Therapy Through Golf
-
World46 minutes ago‘X-Men’ Star Famke Janssen Says Marvel ‘Made a Mistake’ By Not Asking Her to Return as Jean Grey in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoJames Burrows, director of classic shows ‘Cheers’ and ‘Friends,’ dies at 85
