Farmers in and around Lynndyl are beginning to assess severe losses after a powerful weekend storm ripped through fields with destructive winds and hail just as some crops were nearing harvest.

Millard County Farm Bureau President Erin Sorenson told 2News the impact reaches far beyond the visible cleanup from downed trees and damaged homes. For farmers, the storm threatens a season’s worth of work and the income expected at harvest.

A preliminary National Weather Service damage survey found straight-line winds of 80 to 100 mph and significant wind-driven hail along a more than 17-mile path through Millard County. The agency documented a cornfield south and east of Lynndyl that was nearly ready for harvest but had been shredded by hail and flattened, with stalks snapped or bent near the ground.

The damage leaves growers with difficult questions about what can be salvaged and the financial effect of lost production after months of investment in their crops. A total dollar estimate has not yet been released, however, Sorenson estimates roughly 1,000 acres were impacted with average losses around $1,500 per acre.

"The money has already been spent. Farmers have planted the seed, they've fertilized the crops, they were getting ready to harvest and that harvest isn't going to happen for many of them this year," Sorenson said.

Sorenson said the pandemic underscored how dependent communities are on farmers, ranchers and the food system. She encouraged people to support agricultural families and the local economy as recovery begins.

“Support local businesses, buy American-grown food and support local processing,” Sorenson said.

The National Weather Service said the damage pattern was consistent with a significant microburst, rather than a tornado. Officials and farm families are continuing to document the storm’s impacts.

Millard County’s farm economy is heavily rooted in forage and hay, corn, and small grains. The latest USDA county census lists 56,517 acres of forage/haylage, 7,015 acres of corn for silage or greenchop, 3,870 acres of wheat, 1,813 acres of barley and 1,732 acres of corn for grain. In 2022, the county’s 519 farms reported $266.7 million in market value of agricultural products sold — the second-highest total in Utah — including $84.1 million in crop sales.

The county’s agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector also generated $80.5 million in GDP in 2023, underscoring how late-season crop losses can affect more than the individual fields hit by the storm.

Source - https://kutv.com