St. Kitts and Nevis is located in Leeward Islands in the North East Caribbean and is one of the nine Member States of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The Islands of St. Kitts and Nevis are volcanic in nature with undulating topography and both have central mountain ranges that are burnished by a system of dry rivers, locally called ghauts that were created from the rapid runoff from the mountains to the coastline. The rapid run off triggers land slippage and flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. The islands are prone to other natural hazards that include hurricanes which are most common during the Tropical Atlantic Season of 1st June to 30th November and occasional volcanic and tectonic activity. Earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 and above have occurred in the past that inflicted major financial losses to both islands. The consequences of these natural disasters can have a severe impact on economic activities, property, human welfare, and natural resources. A European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) diagnostic study reports that between 1900 and 1996, Caribbean countries had sustained 309 disaster events resulting in over 72,000 deaths and approximately 12 million people affected.
| Year of Occurrence | DISASTER EVENTS | Damages |
|---|---|---|
| 1626 | St. Kitts – Bloody Point was the location where the French & British forces massacred over 2000 Carib Indians | >2000 Fatalities |
| 1642 | A hurricane destroyed all the houses on the island of St. Kitts | |
| 1667 | A hurricane destroyed all the houses on the island of St. Kitts | |
| 10th April 1690 | Jamestown, former Capital of Nevis, reportedly destroyed by an earthquake & subsequent Tsunami at 5 pm | |
| 31 Aug 1772 | Hurricane caused worth of damage on St. Kitts | £500 000 |
| 4th Sept 1776 | A fire caused significant loss of property in St. Kitts. It was followed only a day later by a hurricane | |
| 1790 | Major flooding torment the inhabitants of Basseterre | |
| 9th Sept 1821 | Destructive Hurricane | |
| 17th Aug 1827 | Destructive Hurricane | |
| 12th Aug 1835 | Destructive Hurricane | |
| 1833 | Dreadful Earthquakes affected Nevis | |
| October 1836 | MV Clarendon while travelling from Basseterre, St. Kitts to England with cargo of rum, sugar, arrow root, coconuts and turtles, sought shelter in Portsmouth after crossing the Atlantic but without success. The ship had encountered strong winds while crossing the Atlantic. The ship sunk when it came under hurricane force winds while trying to get to Plymouth for shelter. 3 crewman saved. | 13 sailors and 10 passengers perished |
| 8th Feb 1843 | Earthquake Mag 8.0 to 8.5 affecting Nevis – Charlestown Court House to the ground. Bath house much damaged. Custom House partly down and all the Mills in the island more or less injured, nearly the whole of the town destroyed, most of the wood built houses are left standing, all the stone buildings are so injured that they must be taken down and rebuilt, estimated damage at £50,000 only 2 Mills on the island that can be worked. | £50,000 |
| 1854 | Cholera Epidemic – It was estimated that one sixth of the population died from the disease. 3,920 persons died in St. Kitts and 891 in Nevis | 4,811 Fatalities |
| 2nd July 1867 | The great fire of 1867 left damage throughout Basseterre. Many people were homeless and food was scarce as most businesses had lost significant inventory to the flames. | |
| 21st Aug 1871 | Destructive Hurricane | |
| 12th Sept 1876 | Destructive Hurricane | |
| 4th Jan 1880 | St. Kitts – Disastrous flooding of Basseterre | 231 Fatalities |
| 7th Aug 1899 | Destructive Hurricane | |
| 28th Aug 1924 | Destructive Hurricane | |
| 13th Sept 1928 | Destructive Hurricane | |
| 1948 | M.V. Crown sank in the Caribbean sea while travelling from Nevis to St. Kitts with a crew of eight, captained by Elenezer Hicks | 3 Fatalities |
| 1950’s | Severe earthquakes strike St. Kitts & Nevis | |
| 1950’s | M.V. Lady Nisbett and M.V. Enterprise mishap/accident | |
| 10th April 1950 | 12 persons died in a stampede on Easter Monday at Brimstone Hill, St. Kitts when a crowd ran into a passageway to escape from rain | 12 Fatalities |
| 1st Aug 1970 | M.V. Christena Disaster (236 persons die in boat incident in the Narrows, between St. Kitts & Nevis) | 236 Fatalities |
| 1974 | An earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck the Leeward Islands causing significant damage. St. George’s Anglican Church damage | XCD $23 Million USD $8.5 Million |
| 1982 | The Court House in St. Kitts was burnt to the ground in 1982 and rebuilt in 1995 | Arson |
| 16th Mar 1985 | Earthquake Mag 6-6 Slight Damage in Nevis | |
| 17th Sept 1989 | Hurricane Hugo impacts St. Kitts & Nevis | XCD 112 Million 1 Fatality |
| 5th Sept 1995 | Hurricane Luis impacts St. Kitts & Nevis | XCD $ 197 Million USD $72,509,109.60 |
| 15th Sept 1995 | Hurricane Marilyn impacts St. Kitts & Nevis | |
| 1998 | Major flooding continues to torment the inhabitants of Basseterre | |
| 21st Sept 1998 | Hurricane Georges impacts St. Kitts & Nevis | USD $402,074,074 |
| 20th Oct 1999 | Hurricane Jose impacts St. Kitts and Nevis | XCD $10,222,456 USD $ 3,786, 099 |
| 18th Nov 1999 | Hurricane Lenny severely damages the Nevis coastline, Four Seasons Hotel, Deep Water Harbours | XCD $113,237,057 USD $41,939,650 |
| 29th Nov 2007 | Earthquake Mag 7.3 Slight damage in Nevis | |
| 17th Oct 2008 | Hurricane Omar severely damages the Four Seasons Hotel causing the Hotel to be closed for more than 1 year | XCD $ 17,101,875 |
| 29th Aug 2010 | Hurricane Earl impacts St. Kitts and Nevis | XCD $ 8,034,000 |
| 2nd Oct 2010 | Tropical Storm Otto impacts St. Kitts and Nevis | XDC $54,403,000 |
| Nov 2012 | Flooding in Stoney Grove, Ramsbury and Charlestown Communities | XCD $2,500,000 |
| 28th Dec 2015 | Earthquake Mag 5.6 No Damage reported | |
| 19th Mar 2016 | Earthquake Mag 6.0 No Damage reported |