Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- September 9, 2008

Pennsylvania farmers should plan ahead for hurricane season (:47)

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Suggested Intro:

HURRICANE HANNA HAS BLOWN OVER, AND IKE SHOULD ONLY GRAZE THE STATE. BUT AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS PENNSYLVANIA'S FARMERS SHOULD TAKE SPECIFIC STEPS TO DEAL WITH HURRICANE SEASON. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:

Story:

(:15) BY THE TIME MOST HURRICANES GET TO PENNSYLVANIA, THEY'VE DOWNGRADED TO JUST RAIN. BUT PENN STATE EXTENSION EDUCATOR NORMAN CONRAD SAYS THE HIGH-VOLUME STORMS CAN CAUSE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS OR OVERWHELM A FARM'S MANURE STORAGE AND CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS. HE SAYS PLANNING FOR RAIN EVENTS COULD AVOID A WATER-QUALITY PROBLEM:

Conrad Actuality:
(:16) "A LOT OF FARMS THIS TIME OF YEAR, THEY'RE WAITING TO HAUL OUT MANURE AND, BEFORE A STORM COMES, THEY MAY JUST WANT TO PULL OFF 10-, 20-THOUSAND GALLONS AND GET A FIELD APPLIED, SO THEY CAN TAKE UP THAT EXTRA RAINFALL THAT COMES IN THEN WHEN WE DO HAVE A STORM. SO…24 TO 36 HOURS AHEAD OF TIME IS A GOOD TIME TO KEEP YOUR EYE OUT."

(:16) CONRAD SAYS YOU ALSO SHOULD KEEP YOUR FARM'S WATERWAYS AND DRAINAGE CLEAR -- A MISPLACED BALE OF HAY COULD GET WASHED DOWNHILL AND DO MAJOR DAMAGE. PENN STATE EXTENSION OFFERS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION ONLINE AT EXTENSION DOT P-S-U DOT E-D-U. I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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College of Agricultural Sciences Health & Emerging Issues: Flood Resources

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