ST LUCIA UNDER SIEGE: The Unrelenting Wrath of the Hurricane Season

Hurricane season in St Lucia often brings with it the same sentiments of dread and uncertainty. The small Caribbean island nation is nestled in the eastern Caribbean Sea and is particularly vulnerable to the fury of hurricanes, which can bring catastrophic winds, flooding, and landslides. This year, St Lucia has been no exception, with the island experiencing two major hurricanes in quick succession, wreaking havoc on its infrastructure, economy, and residents.

St Lucia's geographical location in the hurricane belt, combined with its mountainous terrain, makes it prone to the devastating effects of these storms. The island's history with hurricanes stretches back decades, with some of the most notable occurrences being Hurricane Allen in 1980, which caused widespread destruction, and Hurricane Tomas in 2010, which caused significant losses. This year, the island has seen not one, but two formidable storms in close proximity, with Hurricane Erika in August 2015 causing estimated damages of over EC$1 billion, and Hurricane Matthew devastating the island just a month later.

Dr. Victor Alexander, a prominent scientist and geophysicist at the University of the West Indies, states, "St Lucia is a high-risk island for hurricanes, given its location and topography. The hurricane season poses significant challenges for the government, citizens, and businesses, as the potential for destruction and disruption is substantial." He added, "The situation in St Lucia is exacerbated by the fact that many areas on the island are incredibly steep, making evacuation routes treacherous and evacuation itself a significant challenge."

What Makes St Lucia So Vulnerable to Hurricanes?

Geography and Topography Are Key Factors

The geography and topography of St Lucia play a significant role in the island's susceptibility to hurricanes. The island's mountainous terrain creates terrain obstacles for residents to navigate during a storm, while its narrow strip of coastline provides limited safe distance between structures and the storm surge, which can also aggravate wind damage from the cross-party aspect hurricane winds.

Impact on Infrastructure and Economy

The twin hurricanes of 2015 had a profound impact on the island's infrastructure, causing damage and disruption to key components of the economy. In addressing the livelihoods affected by the disaster, Prime Minister of St Lucia, Honorable Allen Chastanet noted, "We took immediate steps to address the issues affecting our people and to work swiftly and decisively to bring relief to our citizens who have been affected."

The business sector in St Lucia was also severely affected, with the tourism industry losing revenue from cancelled flights, hotel forfeitures and travel disruption.

A Quick Analysis of Hurricane Erika and Matthew

Erica Overview - What Happened

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Matthew Overview - Where We Stood

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