LOCAL : Orange County Assesses Crop Loss; Homeless Shelters Bulge
Agriculture inspectors fanned out across Orange County this morning to assess crop damage after a blast of Arctic air sent temperatures plummeting to below freezing before dawn.
“We’re going to get some damage in the more sensitive citrus crops--strawberries, avocados, squash, peppers and tomatoes,” said John Ellis, deputy agriculture commissioner for Orange County.
Growers scrambled overnight to protect sensitive fruits and vegetables from temperatures that dropped into the upper 20s in some parts of the county, Ellis said.
John Magarro, owner of Magarro Farms in Irvine, said he may have lost as much as 25% of his strawberry crop to the chill.
“This is too late in the year for this to happen,” Magarro said. “This is about the last thing we wanted to see happen. Usually after Feb. 15 things are pretty safe, but you can never really tell.”
The cold also had a chilling effect on the county’s homeless.
Scott Mather, chairman of the Orange County Homeless Task Force, said already overtaxed facilities were strained beyond capacity Wednesday night and early today. Two National Guard armories were opened to 250 homeless people Wednesday night to handle the overflow.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
