By Bryan Corbin, Evansville Courier & Press
INDIANAPOLIS - Damage to Indiana's farm revenue from last week's severe flooding is now estimated at $840 million, the state agriculture commissioner said today.
Torrential rain that dumped 11 inches of water on central Indiana on June 6 and 7 flowed downstream to Southwest Indiana, swelling the Wabash and White rivers out of their banks and leaving many crop fields inundated.
Statewide, an estimated 529,010 acres of corn and 485,084 acres of soybeans are potentially lost for the season due to flooding, or more than 1 million acres total.
"This will go down in history as one of the worst agricultural disasters our state has ever seen," state agriculture commissioner Andy Miller said.
Now that waterlogged fields are starting to dry out, state and federal agencies will be working with farmers to help compensate them for their losses and stabilize soil erosion. It is unclear whether the corn crop can be replanted, given the lateness of the season and the spike in seed corn prices, officials said.
Flooding also is a concern for livestock farmers. Veterinarian Bret Marsh of the state Board of Animal Health warned today that the flooding and resulting soil erosion might precipitate the return of animal-disease organisms not seen in Indiana in a long time, such as anthrax that could afflict sheep or hogs. Farmers must be vigilant for signs of animal disease once they restock their herds into previously flooded areas, he said.