The pecan industry in the state was extremely hard hit by Hurricane Gustav. Damaging winds and heavy rains caused a considerable amount of nut loss in the 2008 crop – estimated overall at nearly $4.9 million or roughly half this year’s production value. Reports indicate losses ranged from 20 percent yield loss in some areas to over 70 percent in others. In addition, reports of widespread damage to trees themselves will force producers to incur additional costs associated with debris removal and will likely impact production in future years. On top of those losses, there also have been reports of pecans lost in storage resulting from either infrastructure damage to storage facilities or the prolonged lack of electricity.