(10/02/19) - This fall flooding is hitting farmers hard after an already tough year.
One farmer in Bay County says only 20 to 30 percent of his crops have been harvested instead of the usual 50 to 60 percent.
In Bay County, some roads have flooded after 3.5 inches of rain fell overnight, but that's not the only problem. Farmers are desperately trying to pump water off their fields and salvage any crops they can.
Flooding is an issue for any farmer but especially risky for one who grows potatoes for companies like Better Made.
"A potato grows in the ground. Other crops grow above the ground, so when we get wet weather in the fall, what happens is they sit in water and can't get oxygen, and they'll rot the potato," Bill Johnson said. Johnson is the owner and operator of Hampton Potato Growers.
To save the potato, it means a lot of digging. The only way the crop is safe is if the water is pumped out quickly, and it's not too hot outside.
"We're hoping for 50 percent at the best right now, what's left in the field. We had one of the nicest crops we ever had this year, so there's always something," Johnson said.
Johnson says the cleanup will last at least two weeks. Millions of dollars worth of potatoes are at risk, but it's not only that.
"It isn't just our livelihood at it. It's all of our employees. The chip companies depend on us. Fertilizer companies depend on us. A lot goes into it," Johnson said.
This isn't a new problem. Johnson has been a farmer for about 40 years, but this year has certainly been challenging.
"Between couldn't get them planted in the spring. It got too dry in the summer. Now, it's too wet in the fall. Hopefully, the weather straightens around here and dries up, and people can salvage what they have left," Jonson said.
Johnson says he just hopes he can get this mess cleaned up and then try again next year.