Hurricane Matthew, the first category 5 storm to form in the Atlantic for eight years, has hit the coast of Florida today (7 October), having already wreaked havoc across the Caribbean.
The hurricane, which was downgraded to a category 3 storm as it hit the southern US but still boasted winds of up to 120mph, has forced the closure of Port Miami and Port Everglades, with the latter saying damage assessment would take place 'at first light' this morning.
Port of Tampa has escaped any issues, according to Andrew Forbes: 'This storm has not had impact on our port operations, to my knowledge. The port, working with its many partners, does take precautions, but this storm’s impact on the Tampa area thus far has been minimal.'
Andrew Meadows, director of communications at Florida Citrus Mutual, noted that the industry had been sent a preparation document ahead of the storm hitting the state, including a pre-hurricane checklist and a post-storm recovery list with extensive advice for growers.
'Our interior came through in pretty good shape,' he told Fruitnet. 'The East Coast Indian River grapefruit region was impacted but we are cautiously optimistic from early reports. There is fruit in the ground in this region but it will take a few days to truly gauge the impact. The fact Matthew didn't make landfall and skirted the coast helped tremendously.'
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