Florida News

Fla. Agriculture Losses Estimated Between $78M and $371M from Hurricane Idalia

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida agriculture losses from Hurricane Idalia are estimated at between $78 million and $371 million, with producers also suffering widespread damage to such infrastructure as irrigation rigs and fences, according to a preliminary report Thursday …

Wildfire Threat Grows as Florida Drought Gets Steadily Worse

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The threat of wildfires is growing in Florida over the coming weeks as more than half the state is experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions likely to persist until rainy season resumes around mid-May, state …

NOAA: Ian Was Cat 5 Before Weakening at Florida Landfall

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian briefly reached maximum Category 5 status before weakening to a Category 4 storm as it blasted ashore last September in southwest Florida, eventually causing over $112 billion in damage in the U.S. and …

USDA: Florida Orange Crop Down 36% After Twin Hurricanes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Production of oranges in Florida this season is forecast to be down 36% from earlier estimates, in part a reflection of twin hurricanes that battered growing regions, according to U.S. Agriculture Department figures released Friday. …

Nicole Lashes Florida With Rain, Thousands Without Power

Nicole, now a tropical storm, is lashing central Florida with heavy rain and powerful wind, leaving a trail of blackouts and floods. The storm came ashore early Thursday as a rare November hurricane and since then its winds have dropped …

After $1.8 Billion Ian Hit, Florida’s Farmers Brace for Nicole

Florida’s produce industry took an almost $2 billion hit from Hurricane Ian and is now bracing for more as Tropical Storm Nicole follows a track toward the state’s eastern shores. The Sunshine State is the top US supplier of fruits …

Insurer Universal Estimates Nearly $1 Billion Loss from Hurricane Ian

Florida-based Universal Insurance Holdings Inc. on Tuesday forecast a gross loss of nearly $1 billion from Hurricane Ian, some of which will be covered by its reinsurance program. “To date, we’ve received approximately 18,000 claims, roughly half the number of …

Attorneys in Florida Condo Collapse Seek About $100M in Fees

Attorneys who worked to secure settlements topping $1 billion in the collapse of a beachfront Florida condominium building in which 98 people died are requesting about $100 million in fees and costs, according to a new court filing. The total …

Tropical Storm Alex Heads for Bermuda Area with Wind, Rain

Tropical Storm Alex, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, headed for a close pass by Bermuda on Monday after deluging parts of Florida and causing three deaths in Cuba. Alex strengthened some over the Atlantic after becoming …

Construction Worker Falls to Her Death from Florida Condo

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A 23-year-old construction worker fell to her death from a 13-floor balcony of a condominium complex in West Palm Beach, police said. Delores Yamilety Martinez-Ponce was working Saturday morning at the La Clara condominium …