Cherry Crops Damaged by Rain

Recent showers have been bad news for some cherry growers in Central Washington.

Growers try to prevent wet cherries from splitting due to wet weather by drying them with wind turbines, air sprayers and hiring helicopters to fly over their orchards.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office says one copter crashed Monday while drying trees in the county. Paramedics took the pilot to the hospital with a back injury.

The amount of crop damage for the season depends on a variety of factors and the loss won't be determined for a while, but the president of the Northwest Cherry Growers estimates about 25 percent of the Bing cherry crop have been damaged by the rain.