THE next big hurricane to hit Jamaica could have devastating consequences, says an environmental expert, who faults the Government for inadequate planning and allowing uncontrolled growth in flood plains.

“If we have another event like Hurricane Flora, we have to ask ourselves what would happen,” said Eleanor Jones, a disaster management consultant for the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency.

Jones, a Jamaican, registered her concerns during a seminar at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston and outlined ways to better prepare for disasters.

The Caribbean response agency has developed a plan for the region with the help of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Jones, noting that natural disasters don’t happen by accident, raised concerns that a storm like Hurricane Flora — which flooded the Hope River Valley 30 years ago — would now have a devastating impact.

Since then, she said, thousands of people have moved into low-lying parts of the valley and now live in squatter settlements and areas prone to landslides.

“We have closed our eyes, we have watched the squatter settlements creep up the hillsides, people live in fire prone and landslide areas and we just close our eyes, we live in denial,” she said.

Government authorities must develop the political will to anticipate problems to avoid the impact of natural disasters, she said.

“When we build on a flood plain, you are intervening on the natural passage of this natural system and the same thing when you build on slopes. We have disasters which are created by natural events and the fatalistic view that is held by many that nothing can be done about it, is a fallacy. We can anticipate problems, identify the problem areas, and the vulnerable situations on which the hazards may have devastating consequences,” she said.

According to Jones, to reduce vulnerability and risk, Jamaica, among other things, needed to learn from disasters, focus on prevention, build partnerships, apply scientific information and share information. She said that political will was also critical and that “we need to stop talking and really get moving.”

Jones’ warning comes after Prime Minister P J Patterson declared five parishes disaster areas last year following heavy rains that flooded homes, blocked roads and destroyed crops in St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St Catherine and St Thomas.