We have been having some crazy weather here and in CT and it took a victim the other day...
Tobacco Farm Nearly Annihilated By Storm
Roughly 13 Of 14 Acres Destroyed, Man Says
POSTED: 4:28 pm EDT August 8, 2008
UPDATED: 7:37 pm EDT August 8, 2008
GLASTONBURY, Conn. -- Ken Horton said almost 13 of the 14 acres of tobacco he owns was ruined by Thursday evenings storm.
First, the rain started, and then we had about a minute-and-a-half of hail -- some was an inch in diameter, he said. Most of it was pea-sized, but that's all it takes.
The tobacco in the fields was days away from harvesting, said Horton, but yesterday's wind snapped the leaves and the hail punched holes rendering the tobacco useless.
The tobacco is used for binder and wrapper on the cigars, and you can't have any holes in it to have a good binder or wrapper, he said.
He said the storm was spotty and left some areas worse off than others.
We might salvage that because there's not much hail damage over there, it's more blown down, Horton said. We have to stand the plants back up and see from there. If we get another storm today, who knows what will happen.
It's tricky trying to save some, he said, because when its brought into the barn to dry you run the risk of hail damage starting to rot.
Horton said he has insurance and there could be federal disaster relief, but the emotional toll is heavy.
We'll get through it, he said. We'll start over again next year and replant. I'm the sixth generation. We haven't stopped yet. We'll keep going.
If you go to http://www.wfsb.com and check the local videos there is one of all the damage.
Tobacco Farm Nearly Annihilated By Storm
Roughly 13 Of 14 Acres Destroyed, Man Says
POSTED: 4:28 pm EDT August 8, 2008
UPDATED: 7:37 pm EDT August 8, 2008
GLASTONBURY, Conn. -- Ken Horton said almost 13 of the 14 acres of tobacco he owns was ruined by Thursday evenings storm.
First, the rain started, and then we had about a minute-and-a-half of hail -- some was an inch in diameter, he said. Most of it was pea-sized, but that's all it takes.
The tobacco in the fields was days away from harvesting, said Horton, but yesterday's wind snapped the leaves and the hail punched holes rendering the tobacco useless.
The tobacco is used for binder and wrapper on the cigars, and you can't have any holes in it to have a good binder or wrapper, he said.
He said the storm was spotty and left some areas worse off than others.
We might salvage that because there's not much hail damage over there, it's more blown down, Horton said. We have to stand the plants back up and see from there. If we get another storm today, who knows what will happen.
It's tricky trying to save some, he said, because when its brought into the barn to dry you run the risk of hail damage starting to rot.
Horton said he has insurance and there could be federal disaster relief, but the emotional toll is heavy.
We'll get through it, he said. We'll start over again next year and replant. I'm the sixth generation. We haven't stopped yet. We'll keep going.
If you go to http://www.wfsb.com and check the local videos there is one of all the damage.
