The effects of Hurricane Helene have left states like Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina in a largely destructive state. As these regions recover from the devastation that the second-most severe hurricane of the 2000s created, Ross Chastain, a native of Florida, opened up to the press in Talladega on how his family’s farm in the state has been impacted.
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Chastain’s family owns and operates a watermelon farm in South Florida. The heavy downpour has been the hardest challenge to tackle thus far for the family. Elaborating on the same, the Trackhouse Racing driver said, “It’s been raining a lot there, in general. The extra rain we got from the storm. Gets wet. We’re underwater. Just the pastures.” He explained that things are particularly hard now since it’s calving season.
HURRICANE HELENE AFTERMATH ⚠️
VIDEO 1: State officials report devastating scenes across Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. The death toll stands at 65, with 73 still missing in Tennessee. Catastrophic flooding and widespread damage are seen in the… pic.twitter.com/4bFCJ1jcnc— Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) September 29, 2024
“It’s definitely tough living right now down there for those with cattle. But watermelon-wise, the fall crop, it’s okay. They’re able to keep the water pumped out. But we’re not doing anything for our spring crop yet. If it was drier we would be working already. But my dad and brother they’re just waiting for a break in the rain. If we get a week of no rain, it’ll be better.”
There aren’t a lot of chances for the Chastains to get a break. Florida is expected to be hit by Tropical Storm Milton next week according to latest forecasts. The storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday. Weather experts expect it to transform into a powerful hurricane and crash into Florida in the upcoming days. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) confirmed this with frightening precaution.
The confirmed impact that Storm Milton will have
Milton could bring strong winds to the recovering regions on the west coast and cause severe floods once again. Jamie Rhome, the deputy director of the NHC, stated, “Regardless of where the storm tracks, it’s going to produce a large area of heavy rain and potential flooding.” It was 220 miles to the northeast of Veracruz, Mexico on Saturday afternoon.
At least 223 people have died since Hurricane Helene landed in Florida on September 26. More than a week later, many residents are still isolated and thousands are without basic amenities. As people figure out ways to get their lives back in order, several heroic stories are beginning to emerge. Greg Biffle is a prime example from the NASCAR community.
Chastain is currently at Talladega Superspeedway for the next Cup Series race. He won the earlier race in Kansas and caused a huge upset among the playoff drivers. Watching him win back-to-back races in this trying time could provide the Chastain family some temporary relief. He has qualified to start the event from P27, firing off as the green flag waves tomorrow.
