Wind Activity:
Normally between 119 km (74 mph) and 320 km (200 mph). This normally causes damage to buildings and other structures, destroys crops especially grains and uproots trees and disrupts electricity and telephone lines. Objects such as signs, roofing material and small items left outside become flying missiles in hurricanes.
Very Heavy Rainfall:
This often results in flooding causing damage to houses, excessive erosion and landslides, especially where unstable soil exists.
Storm Surges:
Storm surges appear as powerful water bulldozers that sweep inland across coastlines, sweeping everything in its path. The storm surge is a rise of water level that can take hours to reach its maximum height. It is a huge wave that can extend as far as 80 km (50 miles) wide.
Water starts to rise as the storm approaches and continues to rise faster as the centre of the hurricane nears the coast.
The stronger the hurricane and the shallower the offshore water the higher and more powerful the surge will be. This can also cause rapid flooding forced evacuation and also drowning. Along the coast, storm surges are the greatest threat to life and property.
Eye of the hurricane:
In the eye or centre of the hurricane, the winds are light and the skies clear or partly cloudy. Maximum force winds and torrential rains surround this calm centre of the hurricane.
The passing of this quiet area signals a change of direction in the winds. That is, the destructive force of the hurricane will be coming from the other direction.
For further information on hurricanes, you may contact the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM):
2 – 4 Haining Road,
Kingston 5.
Jamaica, W.I.
Toll free: 1-888-225-5637
Telephone: (876) – 906-9674-5 or (876) – 754-9077-8