assessment of the socio-economic and environmental impact

- Traditional agricultural crops such as bananas and sugar cane which are grown on low lying
plains making them susceptible to coastal flooding and wind damage
- The denudation of hillsides and continued removal of vegetative cover can accelerate erosion
due to rapid runoffs. This leads to increased sedimentation and turbidity in coastal areas
which threatens marine resources.
- Vulnerability of beaches and critical coastal infrastructure (such as roads at Roselle, St.
Thomas, and Palisadoes, Kingston) are located on the coast placing them at risk to wave
action and storm surges.
- Accumulation of solid waste in water channels due to indiscriminate disposal increased the
potential for flooding in some areas.
- Saturated ground conditions resulting from rainfall during the week prior to the hurricane
2. Impact of Hurricane
The analysis of environmental impacts is limited by the lack of good quality data on the
characteristics and conditions of the environment prior to the passage of Hurricane Dean. Thus,
assessment of environmental damage and loss were mainly qualitative.
The wind strength, direction and forward speed of the hurricane; and the amount of rainfall
associated with the event are major determinants the type of ecosystems impacts and the extent
and location of the impacts. In the case of Hurricane Dean, flooding and wind damage were the
major sources of impacts. Both terrestrial and marine environments were impacted by Hurricane
Dean included. Some specific areas of damage included defoliation; destruction of wildlife
habitats; landslides; and vegetation damage.
Due to the southerly path taken by Hurricane Dean, most of the impacts occurred in the southern
part of the country. The parishes experiencing the worst environmental damage were Portland;
Clarendon; Manchester; St. Elizabeth; Hanover and Westmoreland; St. Thomas; Kingston & St.
Andrew and St. Catherine.
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