Natural Disasters 1

GEOGRAPHICAL PHENOMENA
The Caribbean Sea rests on the Caribbean Plate and on the outskirt of the
Atlantic Ocean. This is the reason why our Caribbean countries are so
prone to geographical phenomena like earthquakes ,
tsunamis ,hurricanes, soil erosion, droughts and floods.
Caribbean people are a product of the physical environment and our

cultural development has also been influenced by these natural disasters.
There are 5 main geographical phenomena which affects people’s lives in

the Caribbean.
1. Plate tectonics
2. Hurricanes
3. Soils erosion
4. Coral reefs
5. Droughts and floods
1. PLATE TECTONICS
The Caribbean Plate is a section of the crust found under the Caribbean
sea. This slab pushes between the North American Plate and the South
American Plate .
In this region there is an island arc.
As the Caribbean Plate moves eastwards it creates a destructive Plate

boundary or volcanic zone in the Lesser Antilles .Another volcanic zone is
found in Central America .
The Plate tectonic is based on the premise that the earths surface or crust
is divided into several plates that are moving .The plates moves due to
convection currents in the upper mantle of the earth.
THE MANTLE is a flowing layer of rock underneath the earth’s crust.
It’s the mobility of the earths surface is the main reason we experience
soil erosions ,earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Most of the Caribbean Islands were formed through volcanic

activity .There are several active volcanoes in the Lesser Antilles.
The severity of earthquakes tends to be greater to the west of the Plate in

Central America, where there is most movement.
THE CARIBBEAN PLATE
Caribbean Plate is an oceanic tectonic Plate that expands from Central

America, the Caribbean sea and under the North Coast South America.
NATURAL DISASTERS
EARTHQUAKES.
1. Earthquake- is the movement of the earth’s crust causing two plates

to meet. When the rocks cannot take the force ,they snap into a new
position and this vibration is an earthquake .
The earthquake zone extends from Grenada to St Kitts up to Jamaica and

West Trinidad. Most earthquakes tend to focus in this region in the
Caribbean. However with continuous interactions between the Caribbean
Plate and its surrounding plates ,the entire region is vulnerable to
earthquakes.
1200 earthquakes are recorded each in the Lesser Antilles.
Cause of earthquakes
Earthquakes are caused by the movement of plates along the plate

boundaries which is not smooth, due to friction between the rock surface
colliding ,diverging or sliding of the plates .
Stressed rocks tend to bend and stored energy is accumulated in the
bend. When the stress becomes to great ,these bent rocks snap free in
their new positions along a fault line.
At this time the stored energy is released as seismic waves , causing

ground vibrations and earthquakes.
Impact of earthquake.
1. Displacement of people and animals

2. Loss of lives.
3. Fragmented population due to evacuation or migration.
4. Disruption of communication and electricity lines.
5. Can cause tsunamis.
6. Toppling and collapsing of buildings.
7. Serious damage to infrastructure e.g., roads
8. Trauma and emotional stress for those who endured loss from the
earthquake.
9. Breakdown of social order.
VOLCANO
2. VOLCANO - an opening of earth’s crust causing the release of ash,

larva steam and hot gases to escape to the surface.
The Caribbean region is part of the belt of volcanic activity in the world.
One of the defining features of the Caribbean plate is the active volcanic
arc in the Lesser Antilles .
Examples of volcanic evidences in the region.
A. La Soufriere eruption in St Vincent.

B. Mt Peele erupted in 1902 in Martinique in the Lesser Antilles
Volcanic Arc . This was one of the deadliest eruptions in
recorded history .
C. Soufriere Hills eruptions. In Montserrat 1995.
Then again in 2003 July 12th another eruption occurred.
Note – there are fumaroles which sends out steam and gases
and Sulphur Dioxide (St Lucia and Dominica) and Kick em
Jenny off the coast of Grenada.
POSITIVE IMPACT OF 🌋VOLCANOES
1. Land formation – eg. The Lesser Antilles were formed from

volcanic eruptions.
2. Studies show that Sulphur gas can cause atmospheric
cooling after the eruption.
3. Discovery of valuable minerals such as gold, nickel and
copper eg , Guyana .
4. Good farming soils from volcanic rocks and materials eg,
slopes of Mt Misery in St Kitts.
5. Hot springs in countries like St Lucia and Dominica.
6. Major tourist attraction – Sulphur springs in st Lucia ,
boiling lake in Dominica and the export of pumice rock from
Dominica.
7. Create awareness among Caribbean people about natural
disasters
8. Governments enforce building codes to mitigate against
the effects of natural disasters.
NEGATIVE IMPACT OF VOLCANOES
1. Destruction of property.
2. Displacement of people and animals _ homelessness
3. Pollution due to contamination of water supply by ash , dirt and
gases.
4. Poisonous gases released into the atmosphere resulting in
respiratory ailments.
5. Mudflows which destroy vegetation and infrastructure.
6. Death of animals and people.
7. Noise Pollution from eruption which can send sound waves 100s of
miles away.
TSUNAMI
TSUNAMI- a series of high sea waves as a result of an

undersea earthquake, landslides ,underground explosions
or volcanic eruptions.
- The Caribbean is prone to tsunamis because of the constant
interaction of the Caribbean plates which exposes the region
to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions . However ,it’s a bit
rare in the Caribbean.
- Since 1530s fifty 50 tsunamis were recorded in the
Caribbean.
- 1918 tsunami in Puerto Rico . This Tsunami was caused by an
earthquake on 11th October. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake
occurred between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, which
generated a local tsunami, killing 100 people .
1946 in Dominican Republic an 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit ,killing 200

people .
This shows that there is a high correlation between earthquakes and

tsunamis in the Caribbean.
Impact of tsunamis
1. Causes flooding
2. Disrupts transportation system
3. Breakdown of infrastructure
4. Pollution of water supplies
5. Disrupts communication
6. Causes deaths
HURRICANES.
A hurricane is defined as a severe tropical storm , a low
pressure system with heavy rains with winds exceeding 119
km per hour 74 miles per hour
Hurricanes originate in the tropical parts of the Atlantic Ocean
or the Caribbean Sea and move northward.
They lose force when they move over land or colder ocean
waters. It is the heat generated from the sea that causes the
intensity of Hurricanes.
The Caribbean is prone to Hurricanes due to high amounts of
humidity and warn air .
The hurricane season in the Caribbean starts from June and
end in November each year .
The most vulnerable country to Hurricanes in the Caribbean is
Bahamas because it is located directly in the Atlantic Ocean
and in direct path of most Hurricanes formed in the Atlantic
Ocean.
Features of a hurricane.
-Low pressure
-Strong winds.
-Heavy conventional rain.
-lasts for more a week moving 10 to 20 miles per hour before
dying out .
-They intensify as they move by collecting heat and energy
from the Ocean.
EFFECTS OF HURRICANES
1. There is heat relief from rainfall .
2. High winds and storm surge
3. Flooding and soil erosion.
4. Destruction of Coral reefs.
5. Agriculture is undermined- where there is loss of crops due to
crops being washed away.
6. Livestock are killed or displaced .
7. Massive destruction of buildings and infrastructure.
8. Disruption of the economy- tourism, mining and construction .
9. Impact on humans – death, displacement, financial loss and
economic deprivation.
Economic impact
1. Damage to infrastructure- roads, utility , public and government

buildings, property .
2. Beach erosions ,that costs governments billions of dollars.
3. Ivan cost the region 3 billion US.
4. Lost of jobs
5. Agricultural products laid to waste .
6. Reservations to hotels canceled.
7. Natural resources are severely impacted , which takes decades to
recover .
Resources like Coral reefs , which gets damage and breeding grounds for
marine life are disrupted and destroyed.
EXAMPLES OF HURRICANES IN THE CARIBBEAN

1. August 24th -September 10 2019 – Hurricane Dorian across
the Caribbean causing damages across the Lesser Antilles,
Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.
2. October 24th 2012- Hurricane Sandy started in
Jamaica ,then raked a path of destruction across Cuba,
Haiti, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.1
3. 2004 mainly in Grenada and Jamaica . Killed 64 people .
4. October 26th 2007 in Jamaica. Incurred US 329.34 million in
losses for the economy.
5. September 17th through 18th 1989,hit US Virgin Island’s and
Puerto Rico leaving 3 billion in damage .
The most powerful Hurricanes in the past five decades in the Caribbean
are Gilbert, Ivan and Dennis with widespread and major damage
throughout the Caribbean.
Ivan was the 10th most intense hurricane in the Atlantic ever .
Ways by which the government can mitigate the effects of

natural disasters.
1.Awareness ‘ through education.
2. Preparedness .
3. Prediction and warning systems.
4. Building homes away from floodplains.
5. Creating and enforcing effective building codes to protect
property from Hurricanes.
6. Migration measures such as adoption of zoning .
FLOODS
A direct result of heavy rainfall.
The Caribbean climate exhibits year round weather events
such as Hurricanes, frontal systems ( cold fronts and hot
days ) which produces heavy rainfall which leads to floods .
Heavy rainfall associated with Hurricanes and seasonal rainfall
causes landslides ,river breaches and flash floods.
Countries like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are in areas of

high rainfall because of the seasonal influence of the inter
tropical convergence zone / ITCZ. This is the area over the
equator where the air mass from the north (north east trade
winds ) meet with the air mass from the south ( south east
trade winds).
Impact of floods
1. Death of people
2. Damage to roads ,bridges ,electricity supplies, buildings and
farmlands.
3. Communities gets cut off when bridges get damaged by
raging rivers.
THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Society
- Shared common purpose becomes a desperate individualistic

fight for survival as looting and civil unrest escalate .
- Defined territorial space is lost as communities are reduced to
rubble and members scattered or dead.
- Continuity over time and space is lost as individuals camp
with strangers in overcrowded ,unsanitary facilities.
Culture.
- Families are often separated injured or killed.

- Institutions such as church and schools , which guide our
behavior and set norms and values are also affected. Their
loss can have a psychological effect on us .
- Religious ceremonies for the dead are replaced with
truckloads of bodies in mass unmarked Graves.
- The education system are disrupted since children can’t go to
school.
In Haiti 2010 after the earthquake ,citizens experienced
dehydration ,famine and disease .As a result , the survivor’s
seek to migrate ,leaving a void in the rebuilding process in the
country.

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GEOGRAPHICAL PHENOMENA

Caribbean people are a product of the physical environment and our

There are 5 main geographical phenomena which affects people’s lives in

In this region there is an island arc.

As the Caribbean Plate moves eastwards it creates a destructive Plate

THE MANTLE is a flowing layer of rock underneath the earth’s crust.

Most of the Caribbean Islands were formed through volcanic

The severity of earthquakes tends to be greater to the west of the Plate in

THE CARIBBEAN PLATE

Caribbean Plate is an oceanic tectonic Plate that expands from Central

1. Earthquake- is the movement of the earth’s crust causing two plates

The earthquake zone extends from Grenada to St Kitts up to Jamaica and

1200 earthquakes are recorded each in the Lesser Antilles.

Earthquakes are caused by the movement of plates along the plate

At this time the stored energy is released as seismic waves , causing

1. Displacement of people and animals

2. VOLCANO - an opening of earth’s crust causing the release of ash,

Examples of volcanic evidences in the region.

A. La Soufriere eruption in St Vincent.

1. Land formation – eg. The Lesser Antilles were formed from

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF VOLCANOES

TSUNAMI- a series of high sea waves as a result of an

1946 in Dominican Republic an 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit ,killing 200

This shows that there is a high correlation between earthquakes and

1. Damage to infrastructure- roads, utility , public and government

EXAMPLES OF HURRICANES IN THE CARIBBEAN

Ways by which the government can mitigate the effects of

Countries like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are in areas of

THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON CULTURE AND SOCIETY

- Shared common purpose becomes a desperate individualistic

- Families are often separated injured or killed.

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