Flood Risk in Jamaica

The report examines flood risk in Jamaica, noting that while tropical cyclones cause the largest losses, flooding is not strictly related to storm intensity but often to preceding rainfall. It highlights that public infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges, suffers the most damage. Despite repeated recommendations for hazard mapping and watershed management, the report finds a persistent lack of enforcement regarding 'no build zones' and a critical shortage of digital spatial data for planners.

• In Jamaica, the largest economic losses are attributed to tropical cyclones, although the severity of flooding does not correlate directly with the intensity of the storm.
• Flooding is driven by rainfall both during an event and in the days preceding it; for example, Tropical Storm Nicole followed five months of above-average rainfall (115%-172% of the 30-year monthly mean).
• Public infrastructure, specifically roads and bridges, typically sustains the highest proportion of damage from meteorological events. In the case of Tropical Storm Gustav, 74% of the total damage was to roads and bridges, and for Tropical Storm Nicole, it was 82%.
• Recurring factors that increase flood risk in Jamaica include poor environmental and watershed management, inadequate drain sizing (some built only for 1 in 5 or 1 in 10 year events), and the placement of infrastructure and housing in hazard-prone or low-lying areas.
• There is a significant gap between policy intentions and implementation; while 'no build zones' are intended to limit development in exposed areas, housing and other developments continue to be permitted in hazard-prone locations, which has led to loss of life.
• Disaster risk reduction is hindered by a lack of digital spatial data. A 2010 UWI survey of eight Caribbean countries found that only three had digital data on historical impacts and only three had digital rainfall data, limiting the ability of planners to incorporate this information into decisions.

APA

Smith, D., & Mandal, A. (n.d.). Flood Risk in Jamaica. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Floods-and-DRM-in-Jamaica-_with-policies_final.pdf

Chicago

Smith, David, and Arpita Mandal. Flood Risk in Jamaica. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Floods-and-DRM-in-Jamaica-_with-policies_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smith |first1=David |last2=Mandal |first2=Arpita |title=Flood Risk in Jamaica |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Floods-and-DRM-in-Jamaica-_with-policies_final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smithndflood, author = {Smith, David and Mandal, Arpita}, title = {{Flood Risk in Jamaica}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Floods-and-DRM-in-Jamaica-_with-policies_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }