When it rained, it poured on farmers.

• Position: Statewide - Damage to the agriculture industry - Brief article

The summer rains that soaked the state were particularly potent in the mountains. Between March and August, some National Weather Service stations there recorded precipitation more than 2 feet above normal. In late September, President Barack Obama signed a disaster order for 13 western counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, making them eligible for federal aid to repair damage caused by severe storms, flooding and mudslides.

But the rain could have done the most damage to the state's agriculture industry. "And I don't think that pain will be isolated to any one part of the state," says Don Nicholson, N.C. Department of Agriculture regional agronomist for Harnett, Wake, Johnston, Wilson and Wayne counties. He...