Case Study: Tropical Storn Noel, The Bahamas

Abstract

The management of disaster relief resulting from the effect of a natural phenomenon, such as a hurricane, in an archipelago can prove to be a logistical challenge. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is such an archipelago. With its geographical positioning, it has become almost impossible to fully recover from hurricane damage, due to the frequency with which they impact the islands of the Bahamas. This paper describes the recent lessons learnt from the use of GIS technology in the relief efforts of Tropical Storm Noel (November 2007) in the Family Islands of the Bahamas and the technology’s proposed use in minimizing the potential risk of hurricane damage by developing disaster management strategies, preparing and implementing resilient and/or mitigating developmental plans for effective disaster relief.