Final Hazards Report

Jamaica lies in a tectonic setting where the North American plate is sinking beneath the Caribbean plate giving rise to earthquakes and volcanic activity. In this setting earthquakes (underwater or those occurring close to the shore) that rupture the crust may generate tsunamis. Tsunamis have been observed in the Caribbean and its adjacent seas since the 16th century. Jamaica has a history of tsunamis that have affected the coastline since 1688 causing loss of life and destruction of property. Jamaica's geologic setting makes the coastline particularly vulnerable to both tsunami and storm surge hazards. The entire coastline of Jamaica is exposed to tsunami hazards. Because most of the urban population in Jamaica resides in coastal areas, any future tsunami is likely to have a disastrous impact. Tsunami preparedness is crucial in order to protect the development and population along the coastline. 

Although a tsunami cannot be prevented, the effect of a tsunami can be reduced through community preparedness, timely warnings, and effective response. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is leading the world in providing tsunami observations and research. Through innovative programs, NOAA is helping coastal communities prepare for possible tsunamis to save lives and protect property.  NOAA discusses ways to be prepared for tsunamis. First, is to develop a family disaster plan. It is important about the risk of tsunami in the community. NOAA also suggests to find out if your most visited areas are in hazard areas (ex. coastline).  Other steps NOAA discusses include plan and practice an evacuation route, obtain a NOAA weather radio, and prepare essentials. Another way to reach a large amount of people would be to participate in NOAA’s TsunamiReady Program. The TsunamiReady Program, developed by NOAA’s National Weather Service, is designed to help cities, towns, counties, universities and other large sites in coastal areas reduce the potential for disastrous tsunami-related consequences. TsunamiReady helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen their local operations. It makes sure communities are better prepared to save lives through better planning, education and awareness. Communities have fewer fatalities and property damage if they plan before a tsunami arrives. No community is tsunami proof, but TsunamiReady can help minimize loss to your community.

If I ever lived in Jamaica, I would try to build my home somewhat inland. As beautiful as the coastline is, it contains too much of a hazard. Today Kingston is the largest English-speaking city in the Caribbean, with a population of approximately 566,2000.  It houses the seat of government, functions commercially, is a cultural hub of the country, and offers a wide variety of entertainment for visitors and the home population. However, Kingston has experienced a lot of natural disasters including an earthquake and fire that destroyed the port. Even with urbanization, Kingston still faces the potential for hazards including earthquakes, hurricanes, and coastal pollution from industrial waste. I would also try to avoid building a home that is close to where the two plates the country lies on meet in order to reduce the chance of experiencing an earthquake.

Coastal Problems

Jamaica possesses a varied and irregular coastline which gives rise to a unique ecosystem formed by the integration of coastal features that include harbours, bays, beaches, rocky shores, estuaries, mangrove swamps, cays, and coral reefs. These natural features provide a coastal resource base that contributes significantly to the economic well-being of the country through tourism.  Shrinking coastline long has raised worry for the area's environmental and economic future. Now, the erosion is expected to worsen as a result of climate change. Numerous sandy beaches around Jamaica's coastline and on several inshore cays are invaluable to the tourism industry for the enjoyment of local and foreign visitors. This resource is under threat from pollution, erosion and illegal sand mining. The erosion of Jamaica's shoreline may be attributed to several factors. The degradation of coral reefs and mangrove forests have exposed the sandy beaches to increased wave action, and the illegal but common practice of mining sand from beaches has exacerbated the problem. Both recreational and fishing beaches have been fouled by the pileup of refuse, debris and fish offal, as well as by occasional offshore and nearshore oil spills. The quality of the water around several recreational beaches is deteriorating due to pollution, particularly from human waste, which makes sea bathing unpleasant.
Beaches across the region are being transformed by a variety of factors: shoreline development; surges from increasingly intense storms; coastal pollution that affects marine life; coral reefs crumbling in warmer waters. The changes are particularly worrisome for the Caribbean because of its dependence on sea-and-sand tourism. In addition, roughly 70 percent of the Caribbean's people and much of its essential infrastructure are situated along coasts.

http://www.nepa.gov.jm/policies/neap/coastal.htm

Extreme Weather

Average temperatures are fairly constant throughout the year. Around the coastal plains the temperature is usually about 70°F - 90°F. The north coast tends to be a few degrees cooler than the south, because of the stronger breezes. Evenings can be considerably cooler than during the days. The rainiest weather in Jamaica occurs in May and June and again in October and November and can sometimes extend into December. While the average annual rainfall is 50.7 inches, accumulation varies dramatically across the island. In contrast to the southwestern coast of Jamaica, which receives little rain and is often classified as semi barren, the eastern (windward) coast receives considerably more rain than anywhere else on the island. For the most part when it does rain in Jamaica, showers are short, heavy and followed by sunshine. Jamaica does lie in the hurricane belt, and the official hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with August and September being the peak months. However, the Caribbean region is more vast than most people think, and the chances of any single island being hit directly by a hurricane are very slim. Most often, islands will only receive the heavy rains that come on the outskirts of a hurricane, avoiding the most extreme weather conditions. Direct hits on Jamaica by major storms are so rare, in fact, that many elder Jamaican inhabitants still relate events in history to being before or after "the storm" because they may have only seen one or two of significance in their lifetimes.

Volcanoes
Jamaica and the other islands of the Antilles evolved from an arc of ancient volcanoes that rose from the sea millions of years ago, however, it doesn't have any active volcanoes. Jamaica does have other well known mountain ranges. The Blue Mountains extend over the eastern part of the island. Jamaica's main mountain system contains two ranges. The northerly one includes Blue Mountain Peak, which rises to 2,256 meters (7,402 feet), the country's highest elevation. The second range, known as the Port Royal Mountains, extends south-eastward from the principal range, reaching elevations of up to about 1,219 meters (4,000 feet). The John Crow Mountains rise in the extreme northeast of the island, between the Rio Grande and the sea. Vestiges of volcanic activity occur in Jamaica in the form of lava cones and hot springs.

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/geography/Indonesia-to-Mongolia/Jamaica.html

Tsunami
Jamaica has a history of tsunamis that have affected the coastline since 1688 causing loss of life and destruction of property. Jamaica's geologic setting makes the coastline particularly vulnerable to both tsunami and storm surge hazards. The entire coastline of Jamaica is exposed to tsunami hazards. Since most of the urban population in Jamaica resides in coastal areas any future tsunami is likely to have a disastrous impact because of the development in the coastal areas. In Jamaica, The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has determined, based on its research, that the Old Harbour Bay community is at risk to the threat of tsunamis. The organization has carried out a Tsunami Drill Exercise with more than 500 residents to evaluate the community’s tsunami response capacity. The exercise is also expected to increase tsunami preparedness and improve coordination for the tsunami hazard in Jamaica.


http://www.mona.uwi.edu/cardin/virtual_library/docs/1171/1171.pdf
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Old-Harbour-Bay-at-risk-to-threat-of-tsunami---ODPEM

Earthquakes

About 200 earthquakes are located in and around Jamaica per year most of which are minor, having magnitudes less than 4.0. The most seismically active areas are the Blue Mountain block in eastern Jamaica and the Montpelier-Newmarket belt in western Jamaica. Other areas of notable seismicity include the near offshore southwest of Black River on the south coast, and offshore Buff Bay on the northeast coast. The United Nations Development Program says it is necessary to raise the level of awareness on Jamaica’s seismic potential and to find a way to make enhance preparedness. Unfortunately, Jamaica is not prepared. A February 7, 2014 story in the Jamaica Gleaner suggests that approximately 70% of designed buildings, are done without the input of building professionals. A push for stricter building codes could help Jamaica be more prepared for hazards. 

http://www.mona.uwi.edu/earthquake/jaequake.php

http://www.jm.undp.org/content/jamaica/en/home/presscenter/articles/2013/05/03/jamaica-must-prepare-for-large-earthquakes.html

Plate Tectonics
Tectonic plates are pieces of lithospheric plates that move relative to one another. There are three types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform. Divergent boundaries occur where new lithosphere is being produced and neighboring parts of plates are moving away from each other. In contrast, convergent plates occur when plates collide. Lastly, transform boundaries (transform faults) occur when the edges of two plates slide past each other. Jamaica lies on a stretch of plate that connects to the Gon'ave-Caribbean Plate Boundary. On June 7 1692, there was a massive earthquake that rocked Port Royal, Jamaica. Fifty people were killed in a landslide. In all, about 3,000 people lost their lives that day. Thousands more died in the following weeks due to sickness and injury. Aftershocks discouraged the survivors from rebuilding Port Royal. Instead, the city of Kingston was built and remains to this day the largest city in Jamaica.

https://courses.washington.edu/tesc243/jamaica/index_files/page0007.htm

Hazards vs. Disasters vs. Catastrophes

A natural hazard is a natural process and event that can be a possible threat to human life and their surrouding properties. A disaster is also a hazardous natural event that occurs within a certain time span in a defined area. Unlike a natural hazard, there is specific criteria that determine whether the event is a disaster. The critera are: ten or more people killed, 100 or more people effected, a state of emergency is declared, and international assistance is requested. These types of disasters include floods, volcanoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. A catastrophe is a massive disaster that requires significant expenditures of money and a long time for recovery to take place. Hurricane Katrina is an example of a catastrophe.