The Impact of

Earthquakes and
Tsunamis on the
Caribbean
Blake, Leslie, Tinglin, Williams
 01 02

Fun Fact #1 Fun Fact #2

Earthquakes can occur Half a million
near the surface or earthquakes occur per
deep below the surface year

03 04

Fun Fact #3 Fun Fact #4

Charles F. Richter Mega-earthquakes can
developed the richter shorten the length of
scale in 1935. the day.
 What to Do In An Earthquake
Hold On
03

Cover
02

Drop
01
 Earthquakes infographics
Richter earthquake magnitude scale

1–1.9 2–2.9 3–3.9 4–4.9 5–5.9 6–6.9 7–7.9 8–8.9 9+

Micro Minor Light Strong Major Great

 Earthquakes infographics
Mercalli Intensity Richter Magnitude Tremor

I < 3.5 Instrumental

II 3.5 Lightest

III 4.2 Light

IV 4.5 Noticeable

V 4.8 Strong

VI 5.4 Very strong

 Earthquakes infographics
Mercalli Intensity Richter Magnitude Tremor

VI 6.1 Strong

VIII 6.5 Violent

IX 6.9 Disastrous

X 7.3 Very disastrous

XI 8.1 Catastrophic

XII > 8.1 Huge catastrophe

 THE EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS ON THE CARIBBEAN ECONOMY

INTRODUCTION
Due to the Geological formation of the Caribbean, the region is prone to
experiencing Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Earthquakes being more common than
Tsunamis. Earthquakes have been responsible for the severe damages caused in
the Caribbean in post-Columbian historic times. The 17th century Earthquakes
in Jamaica(Port Royal, 1692) and the 19th century earthquake in Guadeloupe
are some popular examples. Other examples may include:
● The Antigua Earthquake of 1974 (6.9 magnitude)
● The Trinidad Earthquake of 1977 (6.1 magnitude)
● The Jamaica Earthquake of 1993 (5.4 magnitude)
 CONT’D
Tsunamis also known as Seismic Sea Waves or Tidal Waves is a series of waves
created by any disturbance of the ocean surface. Most Tsunamis are a result of
earthquakes due to tectonic displacements. Tidal Waves can also be formed
from erupting volcanoes, landslides or underwater explosions. Kick ‘em Jenny,
located north of Grenada, is an example of a submarine volcano that could lead
to a Tsunami. It is important to note that the recurrence rate of tsunamis in the
Caribbean is very small but not negligible. An example of a major Tsunami
occurrence is the Tsunami that hit Port Royal, Jamaica in 1692.

These disasters have not only affected the Caribbean physically but also
economically.
Follow the link in the graph to modify its data and then paste the new one here. For more info, click here
 Cultural Impacts
Due to the Caribbean being prone to
experiencing earthquakes (because of
the divergent, convergent and transform
plate margins that run along the
Caribbean plate, the countries have
incorporated several activities into their
way of life in order to decrease the loss
of property and lives from earthquakes
and potential tsunamis (which may
occur as a secondary disaster).

Earthquakes and tsunamis can possibly

destroy tangible aspects of culture. Due
to this as well as the aforementioned
effects, the following activities have
been included:
 Cultural Impacts
1. Every January (Earthquake Awareness Month), different
organizations spread information about earthquakes and
how to prepare for earthquakes.
2. In Jamaica, disaster education is taught in schools (primary
to tertiary level) and earthquake drills are done in many
schools and workplaces throughout the island.
3. Around the Caribbean, buildings are built with concrete and
steel reinforcements to stabilize them and to decrease the
chances of collapsing during an earthquake. Strict building
regulations have also been put in place for high-rise
buildings since they are most at risk of collapsing during an
earthquake.
4. Seawalls are built along the coasts to block waves from
reaching buildings and roads that are close to the shore.
Governments also encourage people to not construct
buildings too close to the shore.
5. Due to the Haiti 2010 earthquake causing the collapse of
several concrete roofs, lightweight roofs have been
suggested (sheet metal on wooden trusses).
 Political Impact
The creation of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
The CDEMA’s ultilization of roadmap from the regional lens, including the coordinating, monitoring and
reporting scope of involvement in the future resulted in the improvement of the operational coordination
capacity for adverse events in Haiti.

Also, the governments of some countries and organizations (Red Cross) in the Caribbean aid in the recovery
of countries that have been affected by earthquakes.
 Social Impact
Social impacts are among the most severe ones when it comes to earthquakes
and tsunamis. The first immediate impacts are injuries and loss of lives from
primary effects of the earthquake such as buildings collapsing and from the
secondary effects of the earthquake, like drowning from tsunamis. This affects
society as people are left sad and heartbroken because of the death of relatives
and are traumatized due to injuries and near death experiences. And if said
injuries are not managed properly, they may lead to long-term disabilities and
functional impairment in survivors.
Homelessness is another social impact related to earthquakes and tsunamis.
People lose their properties and become homeless. Homelessness creates a
division amongst the people as homeless people are stigmatized, scorned,
shamed and isolated. This results in no unity in societies for decades as the
issue of homelessness is not easily resolved. An example of this is the Haiti
earthquake of 2010. Over 1.5 million people were displaced and to this day about
50,000 people are still homeless.
 CONT’D

One more social problem caused by an earthquake is the availability of vital

resources in general and clean water supply in particular. For example, survivors
who are rendered homeless start to live in crowded shelter places with minimal
or no sanitary facilities. In addition, water pipes can be ruined as a result of an
earthquake, which can lead to water contamination thus making it inapplicable.
Another social impact is the one related to education. Earthquakes and
tsunamis
reduce the probability of students’ successful graduation and increases the
incidence of being dropped out. This is a result of the mass destruction of
educational facilities and the long time necessary for their restoration. These
factors result in disruptions in the learning environment. An example of this is
the
7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck southwest Haiti on August 14, 2021. After
six months more than 1,000 schools are yet to be rebuilt. This left an estimated
amount of 320,000 children to study in environments not fit for learning.
 Cont’d
There are also long-term social impacts due to earthquakes and tsunamis. These
include the lack of freshwater due to its contamination, damage of infrastructure
and services including healthcare, the necessity to live in crowded refugee camps, and
other related factors that can result in the spread of communicable
diseases.
Earthquakes and tsunamis can also easily lead to social injustice. This stems
when the government provides funds to aid financially in post-disaster
reconstruction. However, these subsidies are not enough to cover all
reconstruction costs and so social injustice breeds. Although this type of natural
disaster will cause trauma to the entire population in the affected areas, the poor,
the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled are more vulnerable to disasters.
Besides, from the perspective of property loss poor people will suffer more as the
majority did not have catastrophic insurance. The aid funds from the government
may have been distributed before their turn. This often happens because of
government corruption and classism. And so the gap between low-income
groups and high-income groups widened. As a result, social class conflicts occur
when the disadvantaged groups realize what is taking place.
 Physical Impact

The biggest earthquake that jamaica had

faced was in 1692, where it was also
accompanied by a tsunami. On a
peninsula off the coast of Jamaica, Port
Royal was constructed across the bay
from modern-day Kingston. The 6,500
inhabitants lived and worked in a number
of structures that were built directly over
the lake. Port Royal was well-known
across the New World in the 17th century
as a hub for piracy and smuggling. There
were frequent but mostly minor
earthquakes in the area. A tremor had
caused three dwellings to collapse in
1688. But on June 7, 1692, late in the
morning, three enormous earthquakes
devastated Jamaica.
 Physical impact
Soon later, a huge tsunami struck, submerging 40 feet of Port Royal. The HMS Swan was
transported out of the harbor and placed on a structure on the island. It ended up being a
safe haven for survivors. Port Royal was all but destroyed. The last of its people tried to
rebuild what was left of it to its former prominence, but a fire that started in one of its
warehouses in 1704 destroyed all but the forts.Only two historic structures may be found
in the modern town today. These include McFarlane's Bar, which was built in the 19th
century, and the gaol-house, which was built in 1710 from massive cut stone and timber
with brick door and window cornices. The pub contains sash windows, louvers, and a
street-level gallery on its upper floor.

One of the most significant archaeological sites in the Caribbean, Port Royal is also a
one-of-a-kind location worldwide. Investigation of Port Royal, in contrast to many other
archaeological digs, has produced much more than just garbage and abandoned artifacts.
The town only existed for 37 years until it was completely destroyed by the earthquake,
making it one of the few disaster sites whose cultural artifacts and features are more or
less intact. Unusually huge quantities of organic, perishable objects that were preserved in
the anoxic underwater environment include some human remains.
Cont’d
Port Royal today
HOW HAS EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS IMPACTED THE
CARIBBEAN ECONOMY?

Well…
 ● Cleanup can be quite costly.
The cost of repairing damaged buildings, damages caused from fires, cleaning up debris,
compensating damaged settlements, etc. is very high and the damages may affect the
country's development and GDP. For example:
1)The Earthquake that happened in Jamaica on January 13, 1993 caused an
economic loss of approximately $15,810,000JMD. There were also insurance claims of
about $152 million and only 16% were settled in June. An extra $2million was budgeted
to clear the roads blocked by landslides. A total of $200 million was spent because of the
damages caused by the earthquake.
2)The 2010 Earthquake that happened in Haiti resulted in 60% of the administrative
and economic infrastructure being lost. The earthquake resulted in damages costing 7-14
billion USD.
3)The tsunami that hit Puerto Rico in 1918 caused 4 million worth of damage.
Residents of small towns had to ask the Government for help to rebuild their homes and
businesses.
 CONT’D
Money from the government and outside investors are now pumped into the
reconstruction of these capital assets and infrastructure, which delays the development of
the economy.
 ● Disruption of Production
Earthquakes and Tsunamis can disrupt production. It causes damage to infrastructure
like schools, hospitals and workplaces. Also cuts electrical power, stops transportation,
communication, causes a loss in raw materials or anything that helps in the production
and distribution of Goods and Services. Other things like the loss of Human Capital
(skilled workers) due to the deaths that may be caused by collapsing buildings as a
result of earthquakes. This leads to job losses and the loss of Taxes for the government.
Additionally, the disruptions in the supply chain affects what a country can trade. This
reduces Foreign Exchange for the country. The lack of goods and services being
produced, leads to a loss of revenue or cash flow for individuals, furthermore the
government. This may cause a collapse or delay in economic growth.
 ● Loss of income
As was mentioned before, Earthquakes and Tsunamis can result in job
disruptions. Destruction of buildings may lead to permanent or temporary
unemployment, therefore, households are without income.This leads to a
ripple effect. If jobs are disrupted, no money is earned and if no money is
earned, no money is there to be spent to buy economic goods and services.
If no goods or services are bought businesses do not make money. If
businesses do not make money, there will be a shortage in revenue to the
government and they would be unable to continue production. In short, the
cash flow of the economy will be affected and cause inflation
 REFERENCES
● https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/ztp2k7h/revision/5

● https://uwiseismic.com/earthquakes/eastern-caribbean-earthquakes/

● https://www.usgs.gov/centers/whcmsc/science/caribbean-tsunami-and-earthquake-hazards-s
tudies
● https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/puerto-rico-earthquake-tsunami-lost-records

● https://www.uwi.edu/ekacdm/jamaica?page=2
● https://www.oas.org/pgdm/document/BITC/papers/gibbs/gibbs_02.htm