Hurricane Matthew

Florence swamps Matthew as North Carolina agriculture scourge

Twice as many livestock have died in North Carolina due to Hurricane Florence as perished in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, and more manure lagoons have been damaged or flooded, state agencies said on Wednesday.

North Carolina pork industry: ‘Much less damage’ than in previous storms

In the floods caused by Hurricane Matthew, manure lagoons on North Carolina hog farms "withstood the storm remarkably well," said the North Carolina Pork Council. Fourteen lagoons were flooded and only one lagoon was partially breached — on a farm that has not housed hogs "for more than five years, significantly minimizing the environmental impact."

Green groups call flooded North Carolina barns an ‘unnecessary risk’

Hurricane Matthew flooded 142 hog and poultry barns in eight counties in North Carolina, said two environmental groups, vivid proof of the "unnecessary risk" of building large livestock farms "in a low-lying area deluged annually by tropical storms."