Snapshots of Hurricane Season 2010 – Impacts and Lessons Learnt

1. Snapshots of Hurricane Season 2010 – Impacts and Lessons Learnt 5th Annual Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management “CDM: Strengthening Partnerships for Resilience” December 6-10, 2010

2. OUTLINE • Events Hurricane Season 2010 • Damages/Impacts • Response • Recovery Actions • Lessons Learnt

3. JAMAICA 3

4. JAMAICA 4

5. Hurricane Season 2010 A very active season for the Caribbean and Atlantic. Jamaica’s events: • Little Active for Jamaica • Significant heavy rains (Sept 27-Oct 1) associated with TD #16 – later became TS Nicole • Close call with Hurricane Tomas

6. Key Points to Note

8. Impact from Heavy Rains (Sept27-Oct 2) The system resulted in incidences of: • Land slippage • Flooding • Freak storms • Disruption of utilities • Damage to overall physical infrastructure • Regrettably, loss of lives (14 deaths)

9. Impact from Heavy Rains (Sept27-Oct 2) Estimates of Damages and Losses amounted to: • $20 573.5 Million (US $ 239.5 million) • Disaggregated as $19 506.9 million in damage and $1 066.5 million in losses • Publicly owned properties accounted for $19 318.8 million or 93.9% • Privately owned properties $1 254.6 million • Damage to overall physical infrastructure • Regrettably, loss of lives (14 deaths)

10. Impact from Heavy Rains (Sept27-Oct 2) Estimates of Damages and Losses amounted to: • Cost of the impact was equivalent to 1.9 per cent of current (2009) GDP • Damage and losses in the infrastructure sector represented the greatest portion of impact accounting for over 88.06% • Impact of the rains necessitated a downward revision in the projected GDP growth rate

11. Impact from Heavy Rains (Sept 27-Oct 2) IMPACT – Westmoreland Savanna-la-mar Baptist (Heritage Site) House inundated – Big Bridge Dalling Street – Freak Storm (house completely destroyed) House inundated - Smithfield

12. Impact from Heavy Rains (Sept 27-Oct 2) IMPACT – St. Catherine Sections of roadway broken away – Tredegar Park Sylvester Drive - Bannister (Big Pond) Rio Cobre Drive - Lauriston Debris blocked – Colburn Gully, Bushy Park

13. Impact from Heavy Rains (Sept 27-Oct 2) IMPACT – Chigwell, Hanover

14. Impact from Heavy Rains (Sept 27-Oct 2) IMPACT – New Market, St. Elizabeth

15. Impact from Heavy Rains (Sept 27-Oct 2) IMPACT – Harbour View Bridge, Kingston

16. Preliminary ECLAC estimates by the PIOJ 16

17. RESPONSE ACTIONS • NEOC was activated • Emergency services mobilised • Humanitarian Assistance (ODPEM, Parish welfare teams, Red Cross) • Parish Welfare teams activated for conducting IDA • Rapid aerial reconnaissance 17

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20. Recovery Actions conducted & underway • Rehabilitation of roads and other infrastructure • Community welfare/humanitarian assistance • Reconstruction of homes, roofs and infrastructure • Partnerships for sustainable mitigation and reconstruction – International donor community, local partner (private/public) 20

21. Lesson Learnt • Improper/Poor land use, building practices and coastal road design and construction • Inappropriate location of settlements (formal and informal) • Planning and Design deficiencies • National Budget For Disaster Recovery Necessary • National Budget for DRR (factored into agencies, ministries, departments and local governments 21

22. Way Forward • View Disaster Risk Management as a Development Matter (HVA and HIA) • Strengthen the planning and enforcement capacity of LA’s or Establish RA’s • Designate no build zones and enforce status • Designate areas of high intrinsic environmental value protected areas • Restore Watersheds 22

23. Way Forward • Complete a National Multi-Hazard Atlas at scales that facilitates Local Level Decision Making • Complete National Spatial Plan, Coastal Zone Management Plan • Develop National Settlement Policy/Strategy • Raise Standards of Infrastructure and enforce these standards • Enforcement, Enforcement, Enforcement 23

24. THANK YOU 24