How people, plants, and pets deal with cold weather as winter storm moves into Florida

Florida’s leaders have been preaching the "Three P's" as a cold snap washes through the South: Plants, pets, and people.

We are approaching the peak of strawberry season in Florida.

At Back Road Berries in Oxford, Florida, co-owners Dennis and Mary Beth Locke say they have 30,000 strawberry plants to save. That’s on top of the blackberries and blueberries that haven’t started producing yet this year.

"The cold won't hurt the bush, but a ripe berry is history. And a bloom, they’re history if they freeze," Dennis Locke explained.

With the winter weather moving in, it’s time to start wrapping up your preparations. At Back Road Berries, that means keeping making sure their sprinkler systems are up to snuff.
"It'll coat them with ice if it's freezing," Dennis explained. "And as long as they stay in wet ice, they stay right at 32 degrees, which doesn't hurt anything. Now, if you lose your water or something and ice dries it, you're dead."

That’s one "P." Pets are another thing to be mindful of in the cold.

Bradac Ranch South has about 52 horses. Any time the weather dips below about 50 degrees, they have to make sure those horses are kept warm.
But right now, owner Kerry Bradac says it isn’t just the cold they have to worry about – it’s also that wet weather coming in.

"The rain, mixed with the cold, is the worst thing possible for a horse. It’ll just chill them down faster than anything"

Kerry Bradac is originally from North Dakota, so she knows all about caring for horses in the cold. She has her horse blankets organized by size of the horse and thickness of the blanket. But she says there’s more that goes into keeping the creatures safe.

"The key is to make sure everyone’s got enough forage," she explained. "It’s that hay continuously going into them that will keep them warm."

The problem isn’t temperatures dropping to levels never before seen in Florida – it’s that we simply aren’t used to these conditions in this state.

"I’ve been with this school district for 24 years, and never once have I talked about canceling school because of cold weather. So obviously, it is very unusual," said Kevin Christian Marion County Public Schools.

So far, he says school’s still on in Marion County. But you’ll need to be extra careful on the roadways in the morning.

"We’re working with local law enforcement and first responders, just to make sure that any slick spots – that we know about those, that our bus drivers know about those in advance as well."

Marion County’s EOC Director, Preston Bowlin, says the third P – the people – need to do their part as well.

"Know your routes, you know, safe routes and, you know, if you have to wait a little bit longer, you know, for weather to push through, you know, don't risk put yourself out there and your family out there."

Bowlin says they have two de-icing trucks in the County, a sand truck to help with traction on the roads, and they do have some salt available if needed too.

"We've got an arsenal of protective measures in place," said Bowlin. "It’s about preparedness, being prepared for all hazards."

That "be ready for anything" approach? It’s the same method they’re using at Back Road Berries. Dennis says they’ll check on the berries and the sprinklers constantly.

"We'll be up and about tonight. And Thursday and Friday night."

For Bradac, preparedness also means being prepared for what happens after the weather passes through.

"Of course, after the storm, we have to take them all to get washed or repaired, and then store them all over again. So hopefully, with this being the end of January, this will be the last cold front we have, and then we’ll be on to Spring."

The owners of Back Road Berries said cover your plants up at home– but if you’re using plastic, make sure the material isn’t actually touching the plant, give it a little room so it doesn’t freeze.

The Source: The information in this article comes from reporting done by FOX 35 reporter Marie Edinger.

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