Hurricanes have long had marked impacts on social and economic life in the Caribbean, over time leading to displacement, suffering, and economic disruption. Climate change is exacerbating these challenges as global warming has contributed to more and stronger hurricanes in recent years. In 2020 alone, there were 30 named storms, an annual record, of which seven were major hurricanes with sustained winds of more than 110 miles an hour. In that year, 9.5 million people were affected by these powerful storms across Latin America and the Caribbean. Disproportionately, the toll of these disruptions falls most heavily on the poor and working class from these regions who have also suffered high levels of unemployment, food insecurity, and violence.

This roundtable, a conversation with government officials in Haiti and Jamaica, will discuss the changing impact of hurricanes in the Caribbean, the implications of greater numbers of more severe hurricanes on these islands and their disadvantaged populations, and how governments in the r​egion are responding.