RESPONSE TO HAZARDS

INDIVIDUAL/COMMUNITY
PHYSICAL APPROACHES: structures or
attempts to prevent the hazard from
occurring.
BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES: Adapting
peoples behaviour to become less
vulnerable eg. warning and forecast,
evacuation, education, land-use
zoning, hazard mapping and insurance

NATIONAL
Establish a National Emergency
Management Operations Centre
ODPEM, NEMA, ODPM, NEMO
Relocate persons in high risk
areas
Coordination of post-disaster
management and clean-up
activities
Education: websites, media,
schools, games, billboards
Provision of relief: monetary,
water, food, clothing

FLOODING

Gabion baskets (wire cages

Paved clean drains

REGIONAL
CDERA Caribbean Disaster
Emergency Response Agency (16
states) now called CDEMA
Caribbean Disaster Emergency
Management Agency
Role of CDEMA
Make an immediate and
coordinated response to any
disaster
Reduce vulnerability by
providing info and guidelines
Collate accurate info about
disasters in the region
Provide training for disaster
management personnel
Maintain a dynamic website
for provision of up-to-date
info
Created hazard maps in 3
states (Grenada for flood,
landslides and coastal
erosion, St. Lucia for floods
and landslides, Belize for
coastal erosion, wind/wave
and storm surges)
Assess damages and needs
Provision of relief: soldiers and
officers dispatched, water and food,
monetary for re-construction

filled with rocks to support and

strengthen river banks.
Levees (raised embankment)
Raising level homes
Do not play in flood waters
Evacuation

Channel modification of
rivers(dredging)
Creation of diversion channels
Land zoning: away from river
banks
Flood prediction technologies

EARTHQUAKE

Build more earthquake

resistant features using
reinforced concrete with steel
rods, supporting walls and roofs
with diagonal cross beams and
bolting buildings to their
foundation.
Get educated
BEFORE/DURING /AFTER

VOLCANOES
Evacuation plan

Hazard mapping restricting

development in high risk areas
Devise a detailed evacuation
plan
BUILDINGS
Well anchored to
foundations
Straps for securing roofs
to structure
Use of steel beams
Strapping and bolting
household furniture
High occupancy buildings
not be built near fault
lines
Upgrade or demolish
unsafe buildings
Hazard mapping restricting
development in high risk areas.
Montserrat, the southern half of
the island in an exclusion zone
dedicated to scientific research.
St. Kitts, UWI published a
volcanic assessment map (Mt.
Liamuiga)

International UK built emergency

shelters, a hospital and repaired
facilities and housing.
Helicopter flights funded by the UK,
monitored and recorded the
changing dome of the volcano and
pyroclastic flows. The helicopter
was fitted with a GPS system to

HURRICANES

Emergency supplies
Secure personal belongings
Evacuation plan
Strengthening home: Guyana
houses built on stilts, no higher
than a palm tree Barbados has
steeply pitched roofs
Sandbags
Get insurance
Get educated

Displacement and evacuation of

population. Montserrat (1995).
People left for neighbouring
islands and UK. Some moved to
north of island.
Construction of houses for
hundreds of people
Water supply and electricity
restored.
Volcanic areas can be
designated national parks.
Land use zoning of coastal low
lying areas
Building regulations
Levees and embankment
Trees planted along coast to
reduce wave impact form storm
surge
Tracking hurricanes using geostationary satellites and
computer models based on past
hurricane tracks. This enables
prompt warning and response.

BEFORE/DURING/AFTER
LANDSLIDES

Disaster Preparedness plan

during a landslide: contact fire,
police, inform neighbours, get
out of the path of flow, if escape

Strengthening of slopes/slope
modification(reducing gradient)
Reduce/prevent undercutting on
steep slopes
Reforestation on slopes

monitor ground deformation.

is not possible curl into a tight

ball to protect head.
Be alert especially when driving.
Listen for unusual sounds
Stay away from risk areas
Check for injured persons
Look out for flooding
Check foundation of buildings
Re-plant affected areas as soon
as possible

Construction of retaining walls

and gabion baskets.