Florida oyster farmers were banking on the Gulf's bounty. Then Hurricane Michael hit.
They were welders, landscapers and grocery store employees before they decided to sink their savings into oyster farming off the coast of the Florida Panhandle. But after the brutal winds and rain of Hurricane Michael struck nearly two weeks ago, some of the 38 operators who grow oysters near Oyster Bay, Florida, are estimating losses from 60 to 90 percent of their crop.
Now some are wondering if they have to give up on their dream of working on the water full time — particularly as the prospect of more hurricanes loom in their future.
“I think we might fare the same, buying scratch-off tickets, to be honest with you,” said one oyster farmer.
more:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hurricane-michael-may-have-dealt-deadly-blow-florida-s-nascent-n922356?cid=eml_nbn_20181022
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