STORM SURGE

Storm surges are a meteorological phenomenon, mostly windstorms that pose a geophysical risk which abruptly inundated low-lying coastal regions. Over the past decades, the direct impact of such hazards such as storm surges and extreme waves have resulted in grave environmental degradation and socioeconomic disturbances along Jamaica’s coast. Storm surge models generated for the Norman Manley Internal Airport depicted in the present climate, storm surge of approximately 1.1, 1.8, and 2.4, 3.0 m are expected for the 10-, 25-, 50- and 100-year return period (RP). While for the future climate surge elevations of 1.41, 2.22, 2.94, 3.79m for the 10-, 25-, 50- and 100-year return period (RP) respectively are to be expected.