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