"Camphor Trees typically seem healthy in this region and are invasive. Massive simultaneous failure of most branches seems unusual."
Observation by Jono Miller:
Camphor Trees typically seem healthy in this region and are invasive. Massive simultaneous failure of most branches seems unusual.
See First Detector web site: https://firstdetector.org/node/64
Comment by LEO Network Editors:
Thank you for your observation Jono. We shared your observation with our friend Jessie Moan with the UAF Cooperative Extension Service, who referred us to Jeffrey Eickwort with the Florida Forest Service. For more information about Laurel Wilt, see fact sheet by the Florida Forest Service. Also see the paper First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Camphor in Florida and Georgia in the Journal Plant Disease. For more assistance with the diagnosis of a suspected outbreak of Laurel Wilt or other tree diseases, you can see the First Detectors Program. Mike Brubaker
Comment by Jeffrey Eickwort:
Hi Jono, as a specialist in your state I was invited to comment on this observation. It is certainly possible that laurel wilt disease is involved in the branch dieback, but there are other possibilities. Although camphor generally does well in Florida, like other trees it can fall victim to common ailments such as root disease, particularly when there is any soil disturbance in the root zone. I've seen one case of camphor crown dieback associated with another stem-boring insect, the avocado weevil (Heilipus apiatus). And a very common cause of branch death on camphor in FL is, believe it or not, squirrel damage! In the summer, squirrels will often chew off patches of the outer bark of trees to eat the sugar-rich inner bark (phloem) tissues, and they seem to find camphor to be particularly tasty. If that's the case, you'd see patches of bark missing towards the base of the dead portions, often textured with little toothmarks on the exposed surface of the wood.
To check for laurel wilt disease, I'd first peel off the bark from a freshly-wilted branch, and look for dark streaking or staining in the sapwood. This is best observed when the wood is still moist, not long-dead and dried out. Also look for tiny (< 1 mm) circular entrance holes from the beetles, which (if it is actively infested) will have some fine sawdust coming out of them. The wood staining is a pretty strong indicator, but positive diagnosis would require a laboratory test done from a wood sample.
Observations From Members 
Cinnamomum camphora