Hurricane Ian remnants helped Virginia farms recover from dry conditions

Rarely does good news follow a hurricane. But, in the instance of Hurricane Ian, Virginia farmers said the storm brought beneficial weather for drought-stressed field crops, hay and pastureland.

Hurricane Ian, the first named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season to impact Virginia, passed through the state Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

The storm produced 3.5 inches of rain or more in some Virginia localities, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s crop report for the week ending Oct. 2.

The report also revealed that soil moisture levels increased dramatically after Ian’s arrival.

“I hate to use the term ‘welcome sight,’ but (Hurricane Ian) was a welcome sight,” said Augusta County hay, cattle and poultry producer Matt Hickey in a news release from Farm Bureau Virginia.

“It was getting pretty dry up here, and we desperately needed the rain,” said Hickey, who serves on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation poultry advisory committee. “Now that I have some moisture in the ground, it’s a good time to get some cover crops planted too.”

Fellow Augusta County farmer Brad Dunsmore noted that Hurricane Ian was “uneventful,” and that during the storm, rain fell slowly and steadily with little wind. He also said he hadn’t noticed any discernable flood or wind damage to his farm or others nearby.

Although the Oct. 2 NASS crop report indicated pastureland was deteriorating statewide, Dunsmore and Hickey agreed the rain from the storm improved conditions locally.

“In our general area, most people got anything from about 1 1/2 to 3 inches of rain,” Dunsmore said. “Our ground soaked it all up, and it was a great rain for us. It’s been a great boost.”

Mike Parrish, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent in Dinwiddie County, said the influx of moisture affected the county’s cotton and peanut crops, but the disturbance was minimal.

“We hate to talk about storms being a benefit,” Parrish said. “But, when you get into a drought like many of us did, people really were looking for a tropical storm to just barely come through and throw some rain our way.