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Caribbean hurricanes are one of the most frequent natural disasters that impact the Caribbean. A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained one-minute winds of at least 74 miles per hour.[1] They are created when warm water hits the troposphere and high pressure pushes warm, dry air down in the center.[1] This occurrence is particularly strong in the Caribbean due to the high amounts of humidity and warm air produce near perfect conditions to form these hurricanes, which are measured by the Saffir-Simpson scale and the Power Dispersion Index (PDI).[1] When this extreme amount of energy encounters a society, the effects are of great magnitude.
Because of these favorable conditions, there have been many hurricanes that have passed through and affected the Caribbean waters. Most notably The Great Hurricane of 1780, San Ciriaco in 1899, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, the hurricane season of 2008, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, and most recently, Hurricane Irma in late 2017. The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June to November 30 and peaks from August to October.[1] The people of the Caribbean view hurricanes as a natural part of life. When a hurricane touches down on a Caribbean island the damage is substantial; the ecology is thrown out of its normal cycle, topography shifts, agriculture is set back, the economy and industry take a blow, society either unites or falls apart, infrastructure is ruined, and preventative measures must be implemented. There is no part of Caribbean life or its history that is untouched by natural disasters. As far back as Columbus, hurricane activity was recorded as he sailed across the Atlantic.[2] This extensive record of impacts influences Caribbean life and the people living in the Caribbean nations.