The Forecast Center began tracking transport events from western Cuba on February 18 and continued through March 5. This was done to see if any event had the potential to impact greenhouse plants in the southeast United States before the start of official forecasts.
Several events warranted further investigation: February 20, February 21, and March 3. In each case trajectories from western Cuba passed near or over the southern GA / northern FL region within 2 days. In each case, the trajectories arrived while an active weather system was passing through the region. However, conditions for survivable transport during the initail hours of these events were mostly unfavorable, to perhaps mixed, with the event of March 3 the least favorable.
We have no information concerning the presence or absence of blue mold in Cuba at this time. If there were any present, it is possible, though unlikely, that the events of February 20 and 21 may have brought live spores toward the growing regions of southern GA and northern FL. Risk to any tobacco plants would have been Weakly Moderate or Low. The risk for the March 3 event would have been Low.
Growers in the northern FL / southern GA growing areas are encouraged to continue monitoring their plants for signs of disease.