Hurricane watch: Battening down the effects of the storm on local crop production

•We examine the impact of hurricanes on crop production.•Hurricanes affect crop production.•Crops that are grown above ground are negatively affected.•Crops grown below ground are not affected except for water damaged crops.

This study utilizes a panel fixed effects model to explore the economic impact of hurricanes on local crop production in Jamaica using quarterly 1999-2008 microlevel data. We find, in general, that hurricanes have a negative impact on production but not for crops grown below ground. The exceptions for underground crops being negatively affected are yams and potatoes for which water saturated soil reduces output. From these results, implications are obtained regarding issues such as food security, export expansion, and earnings.