Citrus Growers Squeezed As Cold Lingers
Associated Press | Jan 3, 08 12:00 AM CST
Citrus growers across the state spent an uneasy night as a blast of bone-chilling air lingered over the East, forcing some farmers to try to save their crop beneath a layer of ice.
Growers are doing two things _ harvesting as many mature fruits and vegetables as possible, and trying to protect plants by spraying them with water that freezes, insulating the temperature at 32.
Temperatures were expected to drop into the 20s and teens in parts of Florida on Thursday morning, following the 30-degree temperatures some northern parts of the state saw Wednesday.
"We are cautiously optimistic the industry can weather this cold snap without significant damage," said Andrew Meadows, a spokesman for the grower advocacy group Florida Citrus Mutual.
Dry and cold weather was forecast Thursday across the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, the Gulf Coast, Ohio Valley and much of the Great Lakes. Highs were expected to be in the single digits and teens across the Northeast, with 20s and 30s for the mid-Atlantic.
On the West Coast, a trio of rainstorms was expected to hit Southern California this weekend, with the first band of showers set to arrive Thursday.
The heaviest precipitation is expected overnight Friday, with lowland areas around Los Angeles and Orange County getting a total of up to 4 inches and mountain areas up to 6 inches.
Officials urged homeowners in mudslide-prone areas to stock up on sandbags, monitor the news for evacuations and keep an eye on local streams and flood control channels for flooding. Fire stations throughout the region were handing out free sandbags.
Citrus crops were not the only ones at risk in Florida. A broad variety of plants and produce _ from broccoli and cabbage in the north to strawberries, tomatoes and corn in the south _ are also threatened.
In Louisiana, strawberry farmers covered their crops with material in an attempt to protect them. Peach farmers, however, welcomed the cold, which they say benefits their fruit trees during their period of dormancy.
"The more cold weather we have, the better," said Joe Mitchum, a peach grower outside Ruston, La.
The unusually low temperatures led New Orleans emergency officials to enact a "freeze plan" on New Year's Eve, allowing homeless shelters to temporarily exceed their fire safety capacity. Six shelters took on 700 extra cots between them, boosting the city's capacity of about 400 shelter beds. The plan is expected to last through Thursday.
Snow fell Wednesday from Ohio through eastern Kentucky and West Virginia into parts of Virginia and Maryland. West Virginia's rugged Randolph County got 13 inches, the Weather Service said.
At least 40 of West Virginia's 55 counties closed schools Wednesday because of snow-covered roads and freezing temperatures. Dozens of schools also were closed Wednesday in southeastern Michigan.
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Associated Press writer Gillian Flaccus in Santa Ana, Calif., contributed to this report.
(This version CORRECTS 'shattering' to 'chattering' in lead.)
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