More than a week after Hurricane Milton hit Southwest Florida with strong winds and a powerful storm surge, residents from Charlotte County to the barrier islands are noticing trees and plants starting to turn brown.
People across the area have posted pictures on social media sharing their observations — something quite unusual for a state that isn’t known for the changing colors of fall foliage.
“They turned brown quick,” one resident told Scripps News Fort Myers. Another added, “They look like they’re just drying up.”
Local horticulture expert and Charlotte County extension director, Ralph Mitchell, explained that the damage was most likely caused by the hurricane’s high winds.
“Milton had high-velocity winds, and what you’re seeing primarily is a leaf scorch from the high winds, where the moisture is actually blown out of the leaf, causing that desiccation,” Mitchell explained. “Now, in some places, there may be aerosolized salt and particulate matter that did some abrasion. But for the most part, if you look around, you see the high wind velocity damage,” he added.