Caribbean Disaster
Mitigation Project
Implemented by the Organization of American States
Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment
for the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the Caribbean Regional Program
Caribbean Disaster
Mitigation Project |
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Bulletin Date: December 1999
CDMP and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) have collaborated on the production of atlases of national-level storm hazard maps for the eastern Caribbean, using the TAOS/L storm hazard model. These maps show the maximum expected storm surge height for various combinations of hurricane category, forward speed and storm track. The atlases of storm impacts provide useful information for developing hurricane response plans and for targeting evacuation and disaster assistance during storm events or to inform physical development planning and control.
During the fall of 1999, CIMH produced storm surge hazard atlases for Anguilla, Antigua/Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The final atlases were presented and discussed at two sub-regional workshops, attended by national disaster officials, meteorologists and physical planners. Final reports are available (MS Word97 format) for the Antigua workshop (3-4 November 1999, participating states: Antigua/Barbuda, St. Kitts/Nevis, Montserrat and Anguilla) and the Barbados workshop (15-16 November 1999, participating states: Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines).
In the first phase of this activity in 1998, CIMH and CDMP developed draft maximum envelopes of water (MEOW) maps for Antigua and Barbuda and in December 1998 conducted a national storm hazard mapping workshop in Antigua to discuss these maps. Lessons learned from the Antigua/Barbuda pilot and recommendations from the workshop were used in the developement of the storm surge atlases for the eastern Caribbean in 1999. The activities, discussions and recommendations of the 1998 workshop are covered in the document Report on Proceedings of a Workshop to Determine Appropriate Map Format, Distribution and Use Guidelines for Storm Surge Maps Prepared for Antigua and Barbuda.In this project, CIMH has consulted with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) to ensure that the materials developed are appropriate for use by officials responsible for emergency response.
CIMH is the home in the Caribbean for the TAOS/L storm hazard model. The TAOS model was first installed at CIMH in late 1994; the Institute has used the model in teaching, training and to estimate the effects of active storm systems. In support of this regional role, CIMH has developed a plan for real-time use of the TAOS storm hazard model during the hurricane season.
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