SC Loggers / Forestry Products Industry Lose Millions Due to Flooding
/An estimate of $65 Million has been given as a number to quantify the loss in production associated with the flooding in South Carolina in early October of 2015.
Ouch. And that's not all.
Gene Kodama, SC Forestry Commission State Forester has stated, "As far as the loggers go, they've taken one of the biggest hits. Some of those folks have already gone out of business, turned in their equipment. They're done. They didn't have the cash flow or the reserves." The total numbers of losses to the entire SC timber industry could total as much as $130 million, some sources predict. Of course, much of the damage sustained to the industry has yet-to-be calculated, with losses to loggers, mills, suppliers, and private forests and roads that are still unknown.
“It’s been an event that I have not witnessed in my career here in South Carolina.”
Road closures, wet harvesting conditions, higher operating costs to loggers, destruction of timber lands due to soft ground, and overall lost productivity are a few of the issues that have tormented those in the timber industry since October 2015. And the rain doesn't seem to have let up very much! So far, in January 2016, rainfall levels in the state are in the record maximum range. Many timber and forestry professionals in the state cannot remember a time when our area of South Carolina has seen so much water.
Use your best judgement, but for the record, South Carolina Forestry Commission officials have cautioned that landowners should not feel that they have to cut and sell their timber simply because their trees have been flooded. If your trees have reached beyond seedling size, typically, they will survive short term flooding. If your seedlings have been submerged for a week or more, they are not as likely to survive.
Always consult a registered forester if you have concerns when you monitor your forested areas and private timber land. We are thankful for our SC Forestry Commission and the great work they have done with the emergency operations across the state.