Special Hurricane Legislative Session Called For Next Month

ATLANTA, GA -- Gov. Nathan Deal is calling a special legislative session to deal with the aftereffects of Hurricane Michael. The special session will convene on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

“Georgia was severely impacted by Hurricane Michael and many communities across our state sustained heavy financial losses,” said Deal. “In response, I will ask the General Assembly to take immediate action and lead the way in spurring rapid economic recovery for southwest Georgia communities. Our state budget also needs to be amended to ensure that we adequately cover our obligations. I hope to work quickly with the General Assembly in the coming days to provide support to the Georgia communities that need it most.”

The storm devastated southwest and central Georgia, right through the heart of Georgia's number one industry. The Georgia Department of Agriculture is coordinating efforts to assist recovery in the areas affected most by Hurricane Michael.

"Michael's impact has been the most widespread and devastating hurricane in recollection to impact Georgia's agriculture industry," said Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black. "Crops, animals and infrastructure have all taken a substantial loss."

Poultry contributes $23.3 billion to Georgia's economy and has reported the most widespread power outages and loss. To date, the GDA has received reports of 84 chicken houses, estimated to have held more than two million chickens, that were destroyed. The farms, dairies and processing plants impacted were in Appling, Colquitt, Coffee, Decatur, Evans, Houston, Mitchell, Randolph, Lee and Wilcox Counties.

As Georgia farmers feared, the state's main cash crops of cotton, pecans and peanuts have been devastated to the tune of an estimated $2 billion worth of damage to the Georgia economy, Julie McPeake, chief communication officer for the Georgia Department of Agriculture told Patch.

Cotton, which is the state's top row crop and ranks second in the nation, also suffered massive loss due to the hurricane. Damaging winds drove much of the fiber to the ground for a total loss or tangled the cotton, making it much harder to extract clean lint during the ginning process.

SEE ALSO:

• Hurricane Michael Devastates Georgia's Agricultural Industry
• Girl Fatally Crushed By Carport During Hurricane Michael
• Hurricane Michael: Storm Brings Down Trees In Cherokee County
• Hurricane Michael In GA: Girl Dies, $2B Crop Loss

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MEXICO BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 19: Contract workers begin repairing damaged buildings and removing debris following Hurricane Michael on October 19, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Florida. Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida Panhandle on October 10, as a category 4 storm causing massive damage and claiming over 30 lives. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)