Hurricane Gilbert, which impacted the island on September 12, 1988, made history as Jamaica’s most devastating hurricane with losses in excess of US$4 billion. It was recorded as having overwhelming damage of US$7.1 billion to the region; along with killing 45 people locally, and 318 in total.

This cyclone affected parts of the Caribbean, Central and North America to include the Lesser Antilles, Venezuela, Mexico, United States of America, and Canada, making it one of most destructive hurricanes in modern history — second only to Hurricane Wilma in 2005 that cost an estimated US$20 billion.

Starting as a tropical wave off the West African coast on September 3, its eye ran the length and breadth of the country when it made landfall. It didn’t leave much standing. In fact, Gilbert was the last man standing.

Close to 800,000 people sought shelter, there was widespread loss of power, and there was a one-month state of emergency for the parishes of St Thomas, St Catherine and Kingston & St Andrew. It took several months before power was restored to parts of the island.

Looking back, it was no surprise that Hurricane Gilbert was all Jamaicans talked about when tropical storms were the topic. It seemed to be the only hurricane that impacted the country. But that was not the case, as Jamaica took a direct hit from Hurricane Charlie in 1951, claiming four lives and inflicting damage to property to the tune of some $32 million. However, Hurricane Gilbert became a pop idol mainly because of its far-reaching effects on the population’s state of mind, not to mention the inspiration of Lloyd Lovindeer’s song entitled

Wild Gilbert.

Weather systems such as hurricanes Ivan, Dean and Sandy in 2004, 2007, and 2012 respectively all left the country in further disrepair and with more death and debt. Ivan, particularly, reminded people of Gilbert as it left most of the country’s roads impassable, with no water and electricity for months in many areas. Close to 50,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed. Entire livelihoods were demolished, and the economy brought to a halt with approximate loss of J$37 billion. Other Atlantic A-listers included hurricanes Mitch (1998), Rita (2005), and Katrina (2005) — the last named sweeping parts of Louisiana, United States.

Jamaica sits on a tropical marine climate belt making it inevitable that it will be impacted by tropical cyclones. In addition, the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea become a great breeding ground for these Trans-Atlantic systems. Sadly, the hurricane season spans almost half the year, commencing June 1 through to November 30. This condition creates clouds of uncertainty year in, year out, and affects prospects for growth and development. As such, the question must be asked: What can be done to alleviate the detrimental economic impact of tropical storms?

Consider a country already so fragile with a sliding dollar and next to zero growth. Possible solutions include:

1. Create an economic relief fund/emergency infrastructure fund: The Government needs to reallocate its resources as well as to seek support from major private companies. It is time to itemise funds for prompt preparation, maintenance, and a speedy recovery from the effects of natural disasters.

A certain perspective looks at the days of Gilbert’s level of destruction as over, simply because storm preparation through the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and development to infrastructure has vastly improved over the past two decades. Jamaica has long had poor spending patterns, hence a fund must be taken seriously by central government and treated as part of investment spending, which will ultimately lead to the country being more fiscally prudent.

2. Enforcement and improvements to building standards for both private and commercial buildings. There is no second-guessing the effects of faulty buildings and the potential loss of lives that increases every time there is a major natural disaster to include earthquakes.

3. Jamaica must focus on maintenance of waterways, as it is costly to start all over or do major rehabilitation. A schedule must be maintained. Also, it is better to use the best available technologies in building bridges, fords, gullies, and drains that will allow cost-effective upkeep.

Additionally, littering continues to be a major problem. The recognised annual coastal clean-up exercise is but a small fix to a part of the problem; it is not a solution. The issue of garbage pollution and collection needs much more attention to increase reliabilty, and there must be sanctions for individuals and companies do not comply with the established rules of waste disposal.

4. It is clear that the risk of tropical storms cannot be avoided, but it certainly can be reduced with the help of careful planning. If option A fails, there should be alternatives, so the country must develop plans and systems to mobilise reconstruction after the impact of weather systems. It may include a plan for roadways to suit the dynamics of the environment, as well as to create suitable alternative routes when roadways are blocked.

5. Companies must be encouraged to develop various strategies of diversifying their environmental risks and the impact on production. We recall that Jamaica Producers, in particular, has for decades lost dearly to tropical storms that have ruined its banana production. As such, the company now boasts production fields in the Dominican Republic. This alternative maintains supply levels when bad weather impacts local crops.

6. There are some areas that most often are negatively impacted by weather systems. The Government of Jamaica must immediately develop infrastructural programmes to remedy or reduce the impact of weather. The story is all too familiar whenever there is an overflowing of the Hope River when it rains: “Nobody cannot cross it.”

Jamaicans need a shift in thought on many avenues to include the protection of the environment and in order to mitigate the effects of natural disasters. Hurricane Gilbert has certainly provided the landmark with insight into the cruel effects of tropical storms. It should be the framework from which we can develop programmes to prepare the country for the effects of the likes of a Hurricane Matthew. The improvements, learning and relearning should have begun so we can harvest the benefits when next the country battles a storm.

Priesnell Warren is a financial services professional who is passionate about development finance. Follow him on twitter @priesnell.