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the majority of the winter crops are lost. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the state of Florida is -2°F (NCDC, 1999a) on February 13, 1899 in Tallahassee. Since December 1889, there have been at least 22 recorded severe freezes; the most recent being in 2010, when a Secretarial Disaster Declaration was issued for crop losses estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. During this event, everything from fruits and vegetables to nursery plants and shrubs to tropical fish felt the effects of the freeze. There were no data available to document previous occurrences of severe freeze by jurisdiction. During the 2013 revision process, data indicated that the likelihood and probability of future occurrences of severe winter storms in Florida tended to result more in flooding and tornadoes than in snow and ice. Based on all the historical evidence, it is anticipated that a moderate freeze may be expected in Florida every one to two years. Severe freezes, where the greatest numbers of winter crops are lost, may be expected on average once every five years based on historic FEMA -declared disasters. Extent. The minimum temperature recorded in the Vero Beach area was 25 degrees (19 degree wind chill) on 12/14/10. This could be considered the minimum likely temperature to be experienced in the Vero Beach area. Probability. Severe winter weather includes extreme cold, snowfall, ice storms, and/or strong winds, and can affect every state in the United States in some fashion. Areas where this weather is uncommon, such as Florida, are typically more affected by winter weather than regions that experience this more frequently. Agriculture is the state's primary vulnerability to this hazard since freezing temperatures can kill or damage winter crops. Significant economic impacts in Florida led the NCDC to maintain freeze and frost data throughout the state. The probability of winter storms and freezes for Indian River County is low considering the entire state of Florida maintains a five percent probability or higher of a freeze or frost annually, all of which are located in the upper half of Florida. g. Extreme Temperatures (Heat) - Hazard Identification Temperatures that remain 100 or more above the average high temperature for a region and last for several weeks are defined Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 38