The full scope of Hurricane Helene’s destructive path is starting to emerge. On Friday, South Carolina forestry officials confirmed that the storm caused $200 million in damages to the timber sector.
It comes just weeks after officials in nearby Georgia warned that more than $1.2 billion worth of timber – and more than 24 million acres of forestland were tied up in the eye of the Hurricane.
The latest estimate comes after South Carolina forest officials conducted aerial surveys of 850 areas beginning Sept. 28, syncing data with teams on the ground to determine volume loss. Total timber damage across 20 counties hit $83 million — without accounting for infrastructure.
Commission staff also surveyed mill operators and other industry leaders to determine the operational loss times, which average 2 1/2 days. That accounted for about 1% of all annual output—$51 million in all.
Wood Central understands that Helene also slammed urban forests, using the estimated cost of wood waste disposal to come up with an estimate. Officials said three million cubic yards must be disposed of for $20 each, or $60 million overall.
Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction and fatalities in the Big Bend region of Florida – the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Maria in 2017, and, until Milton (last month), the deadliest to hit mainland US since Katrina in 2005.
Along with Georgia and Alabama, South Carolina is home to the United States’ largest timber stock – and is considered one of the world’s top growing areas for pulp, paper, and, increasingly, engineered wood products.
- To learn more about Hurricane Helene and its impact on American timber stock, click here for Wood Central’s article from last month.
