The Caribbean Response to Disaster: Insight on the Role of Transportation

The increase in disasters occurring in recent years suggests the urgency for thorough emergency response systems, particularly in the Caribbean. These countries are quite vulnerable to disasters such as hurricanes, and recovery from such events can be timely and devastating. The transportation system can be severely damaged during these disasters, in particular the infrastructures such as roads, ports and airports can suffer considerable damage impacting the economy and living conditions in these countries. Thus, there is a need for incorporating transportation planning into emergency planning. Safe evacuation and movement during disasters require collaboration of transportation experts, emergency managers and other stakeholders. This becomes more difficult as the population and vehicle ownership of the Caribbean region grows. This study analyses existing disaster management plans from different Caribbean countries. It highlights the lack of a comprehensive transportation components in these disaster management plan. Furthermore, the paper features key elements that are needed for the future design of a transportation disaster management plan within the Caribbean.