Abstract
Natural disturbances in forested landscapes are increasing in frequency. Hurricanes and flooding events can cause extreme damages to forested ecosystems and the forest products industry. The state of South Carolina experienced four major hurricanes and flooding events between 2015 and 2018. A survey was sent out to the members of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) in South Carolina in 2017 to better understand the impact of two of these events—the historical flood of October 2015 and hurricane Matthew in October 2016—on family forest operations. Forty-eight percent of surveys were returned. Surveys were received from all counties except one. Average losses of $6.21/acre and $6.48/acre for flood and hurricane damage, respectively, were reported across all of the respondents. Major damage from the flood was reported to be on forest roads, while uprooted and broken trees were the most reported damage from the hurricane. Extrapolating damages to the state level indicated total estimated damages that were in excess of $80 million for each event. The responses also showed that only one-third of respondents were aware of disaster relief programs and less than 2% actually received financial aid. The results from this survey provide forest managers, policy makers, and extension personnel with information regarding the damages that were associated with the 2015 flood and the 2016 hurricane. Events such as these are bound to happen again in the future and information from this survey may allow foresters, policy makers, and forestry associations to refine the ways that financial aid information is distributed to increase the awareness of these programs.
Highlights
Forested ecosystems are shaped and influenced by natural and anthropogenic disturbances
Smith [3] reported that the frequency of hurricanes hitting the East Coast of the United States of America (USA) increased in the
The Forestry Association of South Carolina (FASC), as the acting American Tree Farm System (ATFS) agency in South Carolina, provided us with a list of all ATFS members in the state (n = 655), which we used as our sample frame
Summary
Forested ecosystems are shaped and influenced by natural (e.g., wind, flood, fire) and anthropogenic (e.g., timber harvesting) disturbances. Natural disturbances often times cause economic losses, as anthropogenic disturbances in the form of commercial thinning and final harvests generally return economic benefits. Between 1900 and 1998, an average of 7.1 hurricanes hit the East Coast of the United States of America (USA), with every other hurricane being a category 3 (Saffir-Simpson scale) or higher [3]. Smith [3] reported that the frequency of hurricanes hitting the East Coast of the USA increased in the. Landowners and forest managers have to be prepared for more frequent, more damaging, and costlier hurricane and flooding events, as hurricanes are often associated with flooding
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