HURRICANES ARE generally perceived as the most devastating natural disasters to affect the Caribbean - and with good reason. The 2005 Atlantic season saw 17 named storms, including nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
Islands are at particular risk from hurricanes as they frequently have low coastal regions prone to storm surges and mountainous interiors promoting extensive rainfall. Jamaica has seen its fair share of hurricanes over the years with names like Charlie, Gilbert and Ivan conjuring up vivid memories of hardship, loss of property and loss of life. With scientific forecasts of rising sea levels and global warming there is speculation that more hurricanes per year may become the norm rather than the exception.
With increasing population density, this leads to a potential catastrophic problem. New housing and industrial developments are being constructed in high-risk, low-lying areas, so the impacts from future hurricanes can only become more acute. The devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in coastal Louisiana, USA, an area more than ten times the size of Jamaica, is only too obvious. The question is, how do we live with this increased risk?
