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Southwest Farm Press correspondent Logan Hawkes captures some of the Hurricane Harvey devastation as well as images of hope in these photos.

Ron Smith 1, Senior Content Director

September 19, 2017

20 Slides

Days after Hurricane Harvey left South Texas reeling from the most economically damaging storm in history, farmers, ranchers, merchants, citizens and anyone with property, family or interests in the region began to see how destructive the storm was.

Many were both thankful and amazed at the outpouring of support from across the nation as volunteers came in to clear debris, deliver donated hay and other needed supplies to ranchers, businesses, residents, and others to help in the massive logistics task of finding housing and other immediate needs for thousands of displaced residents.

The area is beginning what will be a long—maybe years—process of clearing, rebuilding and starting over, but none doubt the courage and the will to carry on. Farm folk may not be accustomed to tragedy this bad, but their resilience will go a long way toward surviving for now and thriving in years ahead.

Southwest Farm Press correspondent Logan Hawkes captures some of the devastation as well as images of hope in these photos.

About the Author(s)

Ron Smith 1

Senior Content Director, Farm Press/Farm Progress

Ron Smith has spent more than 40 years covering Sunbelt agriculture. Ron began his career in agricultural journalism as an Experiment Station and Extension editor at Clemson University, where he earned a Masters Degree in English in 1975. He served as associate editor for Southeast Farm Press from 1978 through 1989. In 1990, Smith helped launch Southern Turf Management Magazine and served as editor. He also helped launch two other regional Turf and Landscape publications and launched and edited Florida Grove and Vegetable Management for the Farm Press Group. Within two years of launch, the turf magazines were well-respected, award-winning publications. Ron has received numerous awards for writing and photography in both agriculture and landscape journalism. He is past president of The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association and was chosen as the first media representative to the University of Georgia College of Agriculture Advisory Board. He was named Communicator of the Year for the Metropolitan Atlanta Agricultural Communicators Association. More recently, he was awarded the Norman Borlaug Lifetime Achievement Award by the Texas Plant Protection Association. Smith also worked in public relations, specializing in media relations for agricultural companies. Ron lives with his wife Pat in Johnson City, Tenn. They have two grown children, Stacey and Nick, and three grandsons, Aaron, Hunter and Walker.

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