Assessment of the effects and impacts caused by Hurricane Irma: the Bahamas 2017

Hurricane Irma was the ninth named hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Being an Archipelago in the Caribbean, a great portion of The Bahamas infrastructure is in proximity to the coast, making it particularly vulnerable to tropical storms. Irma directly and primarily affected the southern islands of Inagua, Acklins, Ragged Island and Southern Andros, and affected Bimini and Grand Bahama to the north, while it also caused moderate effects across the country. The effects of hurricane Irma on the population of The Bahamas were moderate. According to the reports prepared by the government entities responsible for the emergency, no fatalities or serious injuries were reported. The greatest damage which directly affected the population of the islands under analysis occurred in the housing sector. The Government of The Bahamas requested from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) an assessment of the damage, losses, and additional costs caused by hurricane Irma. ECLAC also invited PAHO to be part of the assessment team. The assessment of the effects and impacts caused by Hurricane Irma follows the Disaster Assessment Methodology developed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).