UNDRO case report: Dominica Hurricane David August 1979.

The small island Commonwealth of Dominica is susceptible, as are many other countries in the area, to hurricanes, flooding from torrential rains, and volcanic eruptions. However, it had been some time since a serious disaster occurred and quite a few years since a major hurricane moved through the eastern Caribbean. In the summer of 1979, Dominica had gone through a period of unrest and a change in government, and there was no effective disaster preparedness machinery in operation. When the 240 km per hour winds of massive hurricane David struck Dominica directly during the daylight hours of Wednesday, 29 August, disaster was sudden and extreme. This report is presented not only to document the ensuing relief effort, but also to promote the improvement of future relief operations and the strengthening of national and international disaster preparedness and prevention