In Martinique, are we ready to face cyclonic phenomena of the magnitude of Chido? According to several specialists, the answer is no. In the event of a major hurricane, the damage could be significant. Many homes are vulnerable and most standard constructions are designed to withstand winds of up to 250 kilometers/hour. However, the phenomena are increasingly violent. (Re)see the report by Sangha Fagour and Thierry Sokkan.
It was in July 2024. Category 4 hurricane Béryl surprised Martinique. Although located outside the trajectory of the phenomenon, the territory is hit hard by the cyclonic swell.
Material damage was observed in several municipalities. An observation which suggests the consequences of the passage of a major cyclone on the island.
The 2019 results, based on DEAL figures, are 38,828 dilapidated housing units in Martinique. So that means that there is vulnerability for cyclones and particularly for major cyclones. We can have several thousand people who find themselves in difficulty in a major hurricane.
Albéric Marcelin, president of the Popular University and Prevention (UPP)
In 2017, Cyclone Irma ravaged Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélémy with gusts of more than 360 km/h. Violent phenomena, which according to specialists, will be more and more numerous.
We must expect increasingly strong low pressure phenomena because the driving force behind hurricanes is heat. Today we notice that it is getting hotter and hotter. The lower layers of the atmosphere continue to see temperatures increase. To give an example, over the last 60 years, the average temperature in Martinique has increased by 1.4°. That means it’s a lot warmer than it was 60 years ago.
Pascal Saffache, professor at the University of the Antilles
Faced with this almost inevitable reality, the question of prevention arises, in particular through the establishment of refuge areas capable of welcoming the vulnerable population.
In 2018, the Popular University of Prevention submitted to the authorities a “Major Hurricane Antilles plan to prevent cyclone risks”. A proposal that has so far remained unanswered.
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