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In
recent history, Grenada had been spared from major hurricanes
and its residents had become accustomed to the fact that they
were living "outside of the hurricane belt". Hurricane
Janet of 1955 had been the last memorable hurricane, and history
recounted Great Floods only in 1921 and 1938. On September 7,
2004, however, Grenada was taken by surprise by Hurricane Ivan.
37 people died, 90% of buildings and infrastructure were destroyed
and 50% of the population became homeless. Water, power supply
and telecommunication systems were struck down, and the backbone
of the country's economy (tourism and agriculture) will take
years to recover. As the destruction greatly outweighed the
national coping capacity, a large international relief and rehabilitation
programme was launched.
The recent disaster has had a significant impact on the hazard
situation of the islands. Many forested areas were destroyed,
adding to the already emerging problem of desertification. Apart
from hurricanes, another significant risk is that of earthquakes
and volcanic activity. Mount St Catherine has had unusual episodes
of rumblings in the 1980s and a late 1990s. The active submarine
volcano Kick 'em Jenny lies at about 5 miles north of the village
of Sauteurs. It has erupted 10 times since 1939, making it one
of the most active volcanoes in the region and posing a direct
threat to commercial shipping and pleasure boats. It is expected
to generate hazardous tsunamis during future eruptions. A monitoring
system has been set up at Sauteurs and gauges have been installed
on the Sisters Islands which lie at around 3 miles from the
crater.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) is the body
responsible for coordinating all disaster related activities
on the island. It was established in 1985, and is guided by
the National Disaster Plan of that same year. A National Emergency
Advisory Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, brings together
key persons from government departments, the private sector
and non-governmental organisations. There is no specific disaster
legislation, yet the Emergency Act is used as necessary and
provides powers to the State in the event of emergencies.
Hazard mappings and assessments have been done for volcanic
eruptions, floods, landslides, coastal erosion and storms. A
national GIS database for hazard risks is being developed.
At the local level, civil society is involved in District Disaster
Committees and a private-sector disaster management plan was
developed jointly between the private sector and NaDMA. Both
the Government Information Service and NaDMA disseminate information
to the public, using, among other media, radio and TV. In February
2005, NaDMA received assistance from the Caribbean Disaster
Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) for a short-term media consultant,
a contingency planning specialist and a community disaster specialist.
The community disaster specialist is very instrumental in producing
and presenting disaster preparedness programs at the community
level. Educational programs related to disaster risk reduction
are implemented at the primary level for the fifth grade. A
teacher's manual and student handbook has been developed for
this purpose. Disaster risk education is now being institutionalised
at the tertiary level.
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