The office of the Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) as part of their mandate to assist and reduce the risk at coastal communities and townships with disaster readiness has sought funding from the Caribbean Risk Management Initiative Project (CRMI II) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). They are interested in determining the potential risks associated with the coastal hazards. ODPEM has committed to implementing a decentralized model of risk reduction first piloted in Cuba under the South-to-South Pilot initiative in Jamaica and Specifically in Old Harbour Bay.
ODPEM engaged CEAC to prepare a storm surge hazard report for the Old Harbour Community to identify and determine or quantify the associated risks with the community. Old Harbour is located on the southwestern section of St. Catherine along Jamaica’s south coast. Situated in a low-lying area, the bay varies in elevations from 0.1 to 1.6 metres typically above Mean Sea Level along the coastline and extending approximately 200 meters inland. This area is prone to flooding from both overland storm water flows and storm surge. CEAC used aerial survey methods and tied it in to hydrographic survey data to create a comprehensive surface for tsunami, storm surge and pluvial flooding.
