Georgia Citrus Crop Outlook Following Hurricane Helene

More than a month removed from Hurricane Helene, Georgia citrus growers have a better idea of the impact the devastating storm had on this year’s crop. All things considered, Georgia growers are fortunate with the fruit that is still left to be harvested, says Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association.

“Everything we’ve heard so far is that the citrus did okay. A lot of the trees are pushed over, but the fruit held on. A lot of it had to do with the timing of when the hurricane came through. If it had been a little later in the month and the fruit was riper, it probably would have damaged it a little more,” Savelle said. “Those high winds rattle that fruit on the tree, and if they’re not ripe, it’s going to have a harder time loosening it on the inside and making it mushy. Even the trees that lost a lot of leaves still have the fruit hanging on. It’s pretty incredible.”

Helene moved through Georgia on Sept. 26–27 and impacted citrus production in the southeastern area of the state. Preliminary estimates for the total agricultural economic impact of Hurricane Helene in Georgia topped $6 billion, according to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The citrus industry was dealt a 40% loss, amounting to $12 million.

Savelle said the most significant damage was the splitting of trees, due to the storm’s high winds and the weight of fruit that was predicted to be a bumper crop. She said growers will have to cut the trees back or cut them down altogether, depending on the severity of the damage. Savelle has mostly observed that the younger trees were the ones pushed over by Hurricane Helene, which followed Hurricane Debby in August 2024 Hurricane Idalia in August 2023.

“How much can a young tree take? A 2-year-old tree might have gotten pushed over in Idalia and then a year later along comes Helene and pushes it over again. The question is: How many times can you stand these young trees up?” Savelle said. “Sometimes it’s just easier to replace it than it is to stand it up. Three hurricanes in 13 months are a lot for a young tree to withstand.”

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