Jeff Houk is a third-generation farmer. His family has lived on land around Morningstar Church Road in 麻豆传媒 since his grandfather bought it in 1920.
In the 60 years Houk has farmed the land, he鈥檚 never seen flooding like what came during Hurricane Helene鈥檚 onslaught.
鈥淭he other day when I was down here, I was crying and stuff,鈥� Houk said.
Flooding carved wider banks for the nearby Silver Creek, taking a chunk out of the land where Houk plants his corn. Of the 7 acres planted, Houk thinks he lost about 2 acres of the crop. Some of his soybean crop was damaged, but not as much as the corn.
In his cow pastures, trees toppled onto the fencing. Houk had to put down one of his cows after he believed she broke her hip or back trying to get over a fallen log.
But looking at the damage Wednesday, nearly two weeks after the storm, Houk said he now feels grateful the damage to his farm was limited.
鈥淣ow that I鈥檝e went other places and seen the loss, mine ain鈥檛 nothing,鈥� Houk said.
Houk, president of the Burke County Farm Bureau, said he hasn鈥檛 been able to make it out to many of the farms in the county to see how widespread damage is.
Mike Causey, NC Insurance Commissioner, said early estimates showed there could be about $7 billion in crop losses.
In Burke, Caldwell and McDowell counties, damages for the agriculture industry are estimated to be about $70 million in plant nurseries alone, NC Cooperative Extension Burke Center Director Spring Williams-Byrd said
At Fitzgerald Nursery, just north of 麻豆传媒 on N.C. Highway 181, this is usually the busiest time of the year. Owner Mike Fitzgerald said workers are usually loading up three or four tractor trailers full of plants a day.
But since floods from Helene caused waterways like Upper Creek to rise, workers are spending time cleaning up the fields instead.
Flooding destroyed many of the nursery鈥檚 1-gallon plants that were ready to be sold. Other plants are littered with trash and debris that was swept downstream with the flooding. Some plants still have roots in the ground, but Fitzgerald said it could take a couple weeks before signs of damage show.
The impact of the flooding on the nursery could be seen for years, Fitzgerald said. Most of the plants the nursery grows take four to six years before bring harvested and sold.
He estimated property damages and lost revenue to be more than $1 million. He said at least 50% of the nursery鈥檚 farms were damaged.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 just us, and everybody else is in pretty much the same boat, or worse,鈥� Fitzgerald said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e lucky to have some farms on higher ground.鈥�
Despite the losses here and to the west, Houk said he feels confident farmers will recover. He said he鈥檚 passed truckloads of farming supplies like hay, gates and fencing materials headed west on Interstate 40 when he鈥檚 transported supplies to towns that were hit hard by the hurricane.
鈥淭he farming community鈥檚 going to come together and take care of each other,鈥� Houk said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 outreach all over. The farmers will stick together and help each other out, and the majority of the people will overcome.鈥�
At Houk鈥檚 Green Hill Farm, he鈥檚 hopeful he can salvage most of his crops and has faith things will be better next season.
鈥淢y daddy never got excited,鈥� Houk said. 鈥淗e鈥檇 pick up the pieces to what was left and just rebuild and do whatever it takes to move back on. You can鈥檛 quit. When you farm, you get in it to stay in it.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e a true, dedicated farmer, you gotta get in it to stay. You鈥檝e just got to take the good with the bad.鈥�