Real Risk

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HE CATASTROPHIC EFFECT

of Hurricane Katrina in 2005,

on the Gulf States in the USA, highlighted the importance

of understanding the impact of hurricane-generated

hazards on coastal communities. Small island states like

Jamaica, whose population centres are situated along the coasts,

are threatened by these disasters. The impact of Hurricane Ivan

on several coastal communities in September 2004 highlighted

the need to assess the effects of storms and hurricanes on these

vulnerable areas.

The town of Annotto Bay, located on the north-east coast of

Jamaica, is one such community that has repeatedly been affected

by storm surge

and coastal flooding associated with unstable

weather conditions, ranging from localized weather systems to

hurricanes.

This low-lying town (maximum elevation of 4.7m

above sea level), sandwiched between a salt marsh and the sea,

is transected by three waterways. Two of these, Annotto River and

Mother Ford (which has been converted to a culvert), are part of

an extensive creek system with numerous branching tributaries

and meandering channels. The third, Pencar River, lies to the east.

A fourth river, the Wag Water River, forms the western boundary

of the town. These drainage systems play an integral role in

sustaining and destroying life in the area; the banana industry,

which is the primary industry in this area, is located on the fertile

flood plains associated with these four rivers and provides jobs

for local residents, but these rivers also pose a threat to the

community during the rainy season.

The town, which supports a population of just over 5,300,

has expanded in size in the past 10 years, and this is reflected

by an increase in residential units. Evidence of this expansion

is observed from aerial photographs to be common along the

fringes of the marsh and the coastline adjacent to the sea. This

increase in residential buildings, particularly along the coast-

line of Annotto Bay, is of great concern because the area,

although designated residential, was not subdivided to support

the unit density it now supports. Most of these structures are

erected on leased land using wood sidings and concrete foun-

dations; the roofs are of metal sheeting, which provide very little

protection against strong winds. Some residents have erected

houses on the beach berm, and some are even located at the

high water mark, nevertheless most homes are an average

distance of 18m from the foreshore. This unmonitored growth

has placed additional stress on the limited resources of the town

and resulted in a densely populated area which lacks adequate

infrastructure such as waste disposal, running water and suffi-

cient drainage.

Reports of hurricane-related flood events in the area go back

as far as 1963, when flood levels as high as 1m were measured

in the town.

Subsequent events resulting in severe damage to

buildings include Hurricane Allen (1980) which passed north

of Annotto Bay, and whose associated surge inundated homes

approximately 137m inland,

impacting most of the town’s facil-

ities including the fire station, health centre, police station and

several churches which were used as shelters during these

events. Similar reports from the community describe the

complete destruction of two houses and the partial destruction

of several others along the shoreline from storm surge associated

with Hurricane Gilbert. In 2001, rains associated with Tropical

Storm Michelle caused the three channels which transect the

town to overflow their banks, resulting in damage to 307

homes.

The following year, rains associated with Tropical Storm

Lili produced flood levels of 1m in the town as the four drainage

features in the area exceeded capacity and overflowed their

banks.

Data collected through this ProVention-funded project

determined that storm surge, associated with Hurricane Ivan in

September 2004, again damaged homes and blocked roads with

sand and debris. Riverine flooding from the four drainage

features in the area produced flood levels of up to 1m in sections

of the town.

A previous hazard assessment programme in the area, orga-

nized by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency

Management, the Jamaican Government agency responsible for

disaster management, focused on the impact of riverine flood-

Impact of storms on coastal communities:

Annotto Bay, Jamaica

Shakira Khan, Department of Geography and Geology, University of the West Indies, Jamaica

Community members participating in a hazard identification exercise

Photo: Richard Coutou