Bull Bay
Encyclopedia
Bull Bay is located on the south east coast of Jamaica
10 miles to the East of Kingston
in the parish of St Andrew
.
, and consequently has been the subject of a number of floods. The land is low-lying (between 0 and 150 feet above sea level). The drainage basin is composed of relatively hard and impervious rock structures.
The floods in September 2002 followed heavy rainfall that month (3,500 mm), thanks to Tropical Storm Lili. One person died. Local residents described the flood as being the most disastrous since Hurricane Gilbert
in September 1988. A contributary factor to the flooding has been identified by residents as silt. Some of this comes from local quarries, particularly belonging to Jamaica Gypsum & Quarries Ltd., but local deforestation by residents seeking firewood was also identified as a contributing factor. The dumping of garbage was another factor identified.
The Ten miles and Eleven miles areas of Bull Bay are regularly subject to floods. The residents have complained that they have lost livestock, personal belongings, cars, and houses. They also complained of increased problems with insects and pests, bad roads, and resultant health problems.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
10 miles to the East of Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
in the parish of St Andrew
Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Saint Andrew is a parish, situated in the southeast of Jamaica in the county of Surrey. It lies north, west and east of Kingston, and stretches into the Blue Mountains and at the 2001 census had the highest population of all the parishes in Jamaica. The Right Excellent George William Gordon Saint...
.
Floods
Bull Bay is located in the flood plain of a number of rivers: Salt Spring River, Chalky River, Bull Park River, Spring Gut River and Cane RiverCane River
Cane River is a lake and river formed from a portion of the Red River that is located in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it has been best known as the site of a historic Creole de couleur culture that has centers upon the National Historic Landmark Melrose...
, and consequently has been the subject of a number of floods. The land is low-lying (between 0 and 150 feet above sea level). The drainage basin is composed of relatively hard and impervious rock structures.
The floods in September 2002 followed heavy rainfall that month (3,500 mm), thanks to Tropical Storm Lili. One person died. Local residents described the flood as being the most disastrous since Hurricane Gilbert
Hurricane Gilbert
Hurricane Gilbert was an extremely powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season and created widespread destruction in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the second most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin behind only...
in September 1988. A contributary factor to the flooding has been identified by residents as silt. Some of this comes from local quarries, particularly belonging to Jamaica Gypsum & Quarries Ltd., but local deforestation by residents seeking firewood was also identified as a contributing factor. The dumping of garbage was another factor identified.
The Ten miles and Eleven miles areas of Bull Bay are regularly subject to floods. The residents have complained that they have lost livestock, personal belongings, cars, and houses. They also complained of increased problems with insects and pests, bad roads, and resultant health problems.