Hurricane Helene devastated Georgia’s pecan harvest. Farmers are on the brink

Taylor Moses was awake through the September night when Hurricane Helene landed on her pecan farm in Georgia.

Taylor Moses was awake all night when Hurricane Helene landed on her pecan farm in Georgia. Moses said she and her husband, Arren, knew the hurricane would take a toll on their 800 acres of pecan trees. Yet the devastation this September was astounding. The hurricane destroyed the entirety of their pecan-producing trees. “It was just a complete loss,” Moses said. “We knew at that time that everything was gone. That was heartbreaking to know that you’ve put in many years of work and it’s just all gone overnight.” Georgia is the top producer of pecans in the US, according to the Department of Agriculture. The pecan harvest season begins in September — just in time for the holidays, when Americans delight in pecan pie. When Hurricane Helene crossed into Georgia on September 26, however, the storm’s path destroyed about 36 million pounds of pecans, or one third of the state’s annual crop, according to UGA, decimating an agricultural industry that was already reeling after years of tariffs, increased labor and production costs and low consumer prices. Hurricane Helene affected at least 48,000 acres of pecan trees, according to UGA. The overall economic impact of Hurricane Helene on Georgia’s entire agriculture industry is estimated at $6.46 billion, according to UGA.