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IdaliaDamage CAES News
Emergency Preparedness
Georgia’s geographic diversity — from beaches and swamps to mountains and flatlands —makes the state an attractive place to live, but each region is vulnerable to weather-related emergencies year-round. When disasters strike, navigating the milieu of steps to recover and rebuild can be difficult. With a presence in all 159 Georgia counties, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is uniquely positioned to help communities prepare for and rebound from calamity.
Pam Knox visits a UGA weather station on the Durham Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia. CAES News
Annual Weather Review
In 2021, Georgia experienced its coldest year since 2014, with an average temperature of 64.5 degrees Fahrenheit. But the temperature was still well above the long-term average of 63.4 F and ranked the 20th warmest year overall since statewide records began in 1895.
A new $1.5 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will help UGA scientists delve into the dynamics of coastal Georgia wetlands, researching how collapsing marshes can affect property values and storm resiliency in coastal communities. CAES News
Balancing Act
The forces at work in a marsh require a delicate balancing act. Rising and falling tidewaters keep clumps of Spartina grasses from growing too dense. But too much water makes it difficult for them to survive. Tip this balance too far in either direction and the marsh ecosystem collapses, resulting in a population of different plants — or no plants at all.
UGA Weather Network Director Pam Knox checks one of the data-logger boxes maintained by the network. All of the observational instruments connect to the data-logger, which collects and transmits weather data at 15-minute intervals, which is then disseminated through the UGA Weather Network website. CAES News
UGA Weather Network
On June 1, 1991, the first agricultural weather station operated by the University of Georgia began transmitting data from Griffin, Georgia. Since then, the UGA Weather Network has grown to include 87 stations scattered across the state, providing weather data to a variety of users. On June 1 this year, this 30-year record of continuous weather data makes the UGA Weather Network one of the oldest state weather networks in the country.
Preparing for the worst is the key to quicker disaster recovery. It's important for inland residents to plan for severe storms like Hurricane Michael, which caused extensive damage to southwest Georgia, pictured here in 2018. CAES News
Hurricane Preparedness
Between dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and early indications of an especially active hurricane season, University of Georgia experts urge citizens to prepare early and remain prepared for weather-related emergencies.
High winds uprooted a large oak tree on the University of Georgia campus in Griffin, Georgia. CAES News
Post-storm landscape care
Tornadoes and heavy winds blew across Georgia in the early morning hours on April 13, killing eight Georgians, destroying homes, and leaving landscapes littered with downed trees and limbs. Strong weather is common in Georgia this time of year, and so is cleaning up after it, said David Dickens, professor of forest productivity with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.
Everything on the MyPlate.gov website, Daily Food Plan, Food Tracker, Food Planner, etc., as well as all MyPyramid materials, such as the MyPyramid for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding, etc.) was developed by a team of nutritionists, dietitians, economists, and policy experts at USDA, based on expert nutrition recommendations for Americans 2 years and older from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. CAES News
Non-perishable Food
Making fewer trips to the grocery store during the COVID-19 emergency means that personal food supplies need to last longer. If you are at a loss for what items to stock up on, use MyPlate, www.choosemyplate.gov, as a guide to help you and add some of these non-perishable (unrefrigerated) food items to your “shelter in” diet.
Flooding, plumbing leaks and roof leaks are common causes of mold growing indoors. Mold can trigger asthma attacks in people who are allergic or sensitive to molds. UGA Extension experts say that to help prevent mold from growing, water-damaged areas should be dried out within 48 hours of the event. This photo shows mold and mushrooms growing in a basement that was filled with flood water. CAES News
Mold Removal
Following weeks of rain across many parts of the Peach State and more in the forecast, many Georgians find themselves dealing with flooded basements, backed-up septic systems, standing water, mold, mud, mud and more mud.
Decatur County farmer Bobby Barber, Jr., tells local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Nan Bostick about the day Hurricane Michael struck his farm. Bostick joined the Extension office last spring says the farmers in her county have shown her that they are resilient, positive, and are going to start over and do everything they can to be even better. "We might be bruised, but we are not broken,” she said. CAES News
Rural Stress
Much like their counterparts across the nation, farmers in Georgia have experienced increased rates of suicide and stress over the last decade. To help curb these statistics, University of Georgia faculty are working to understand the causes of rural stress and to build systems that can help rural communities support community members in crisis.
Assistant Professor Yukiko Hashida recently joined the University of Georgia Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. She uses her background in international law and finance to inform her research into natural resource economics. CAES News
Environmental Economics
Despite fears of rising sea levels and violent storms, many people still dream of living on the water. It’s an idyllic life — until it isn’t.