Hurricanes and other natural disasters pose a major threat to people and industries, bringing with them severe winds and intense flooding.  When these events occur, conducting damage and loss assessments is a critical part of the recovery process.

The first episode of F.R.E. Lunch: The Food and Resource Economics Podcast explores how the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) conducts research estimating the short-term economic impacts of hurricanes on Florida agriculture.  

In this episode, we are joined by Christa Court, an associate professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department, and EIAP Director. 

Each time a hurricane impacts Florida, the EIAP team rapidly responds by conducting damage assessments that can be used to estimate production losses and inform decision-making related to the recovery process.  

“We specialize in looking at acute short-term production losses after the disaster,” Court explained.  

The EIAP began this work after Hurricane Irma and has refined their research process over time to better serve stakeholders. 

 “We work a lot under what we call blue skies, to try to improve that survey tool so that our estimates are as accurate as they can be,” Court said.  “Through estimating these losses, we can better understand how agricultural operations are impacted by these events and improve risk management tools available to agricultural operators.” 

In the full episode, available now, you can learn more about the EIAP’s work, the types of data they use, and emerging trends in disaster economics.  

Tune in here: https://fred.ifas.ufl.edu/fre-lunch-podcast 

F.R.E. Lunch is the official podcast of the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department, showcasing how economics can help us understand and address the complex issues facing agricultural and natural resource industries. Each month, a short 15—to 20-minute episode features FRE faculty and student research presented in a bite-sized, easily digestible format that will surely bring you back for seconds. 

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