1. Flooding is the most common natural hazard affecting many Caribbean countries. What is flooding ?
Flooding can be defined as an abnormally high stream flow onto land that is normally dry. Flood can be
divided into two different categories according to their duration and their location. Under duration
there are flash flood, slow on-set flood and rapid on-set flood and under location there are coastal
flood, urban flood, river flood and arroyos flood. The types of floods that prone the Caribbean are flash
flood, river flood , coastal flood and arroyo flood
Flash Floods often occur from heavy rainfall or cloudbursts over a relatively small drainage area. These
types of floods are most common in mountainous areas and are difficult to forecast. River Flood is a
result of large amounts of rainfall falling in the river systems with tributes that drain large land areas.
Depending on its intensity and amount of rainfall, river flood can last for hours or days. Coastal Flood as
the name suggest usually occur along the coastal areas. When there are hurricanes and tropical storms
which produce heavy rains or giant tidal waves created by volcanoes or earthquakes, ocean water may
be driven onto the coastal areas and cause flooding. Arroyo is a river which is normally dry. When there
are storms approaching these areas, fast moving river will normally form along the gully and cause
damages. Another major cause of flooding is poor drainage system.
One example of poor drainage is a poorly designed or installed gutter and downspout system. If downspouts are
positioned improperly, then they may release water directly to the foundation and along the sides of the house. For
every inch of rain on your roof, your downspouts may be releasing over 600 gallons of water directly to your home.
Downspouts should be positioned away from the home and allow drain water to escape safely.