Aug 30, 2023Hurricane Idalia forces rescheduling of southeast Georgia pecan field day
Hurricane Idalia, which was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico the week of Aug. 28, has forced University of Georgia Extension personnel to reschedule the Southeast Georgia Pecan Fall Field Day.
The event, which was originally scheduled for Aug. 30 in Baxley, Georgia, has been rescheduled for Sept. 13. The Georgia Pecan Growers Association (GPGA) publicized the change in an Aug. 29 email newsletter.
“Due to a slight change in the weather forecast and the eye of the storm expected to now pass through our area, we’re rescheduling the Southeast GA Pecan Field Day to Sept 13,” Shane Curry, Appling County Extension agent, said in an email notification. “Safety is a concern, and with power outages expected it would be a tough situation to handle with a crowd. We will still have the field day at the ag center on September 13 instead of in the field. By being indoors, this eliminates any normal rain causing an issue on that day, and hopefully, we won’t have another hurricane then. I apologize for any inconvenience for those that reserved hotels. Unfortunately, we can’t change the weather. Stay safe.”
With Tropical Storm Idalia looming in the Gulf with threats of becoming a major hurricane, please keep a mindful eye on the weather throughout the next few days, GPGA advised in the email. “In addition, there are also threats of Hurricane Franklin off the U.S. East Coast to be aware of,” GPGA said in the email.
In addition to documenting before the storm, be sure to document after the storm before cleaning up and removing debris, etc. Also, be sure to keep all documentation as far as additional labor or equipment required for cleanup, etc., GPGA said in the email.
Follow latest storm updates from the National Hurricane Center here.
Initially forecast as a tropical storm, Idalia soon advanced to a hurricane. After making landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, regional weather maps forecast the storm rolling through most of southeast Georgia by the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 30.
GPGA’s Annual Fall Field Day is scheduled for Sept. 7 in Byron, Georgia.
