World Map › North America › Jamaica
Country
Map of Jamaica
North America · Kingston
Jamaica lies on the Caribbean Plate. Since 1900, 2 major earthquakes have been recorded, causing at least 1,000 deaths. Its exposure to natural hazards is 5.1 out of 10 (INFORM index), a high level. Its overall risk index, which accounts for its ability to cope, is 3.7 out of 10.
- Capital
- Kingston
- Population
- 2,697,983
- Area
- 10,992 km²
- Continent
- North America
Tectonic Plates
Natural Hazards
Exposure to natural hazards according to the European Commission's INFORM index, from 0 (very low) to 10 (very high), overall and for each type of hazard.
Overall Risk Index
This overall score combines hazard exposure with the vulnerability of the population (3.7 out of 10) and the lack of coping capacity (3.7 out of 10). A highly exposed but well-prepared country therefore gets a low overall score.
People Exposed Each Year
- 5,581to strong shaking (intensity VI and above)
- 4,017to destructive shaking (intensity VIII and above)
- 208,902to hurricane-force winds (category 1 and above)
- 3,813to coastal floods
Overall Risk Index Over Time
Hazard Levels
Hazard level assessed by ThinkHazard! (World Bank, GFDRR), meaning the likelihood of a damaging event, from very low to high.
- River FloodHigh
- Urban FloodHigh
- Coastal FloodHigh
- LandslideHigh
- CycloneHigh
- WildfireHigh
- EarthquakeMedium
- Extreme HeatMedium
- TsunamiLow
- Water ScarcityLow
Volcanoes
No volcano active over the last 10,000 years is recorded in this country.
Major Earthquakes Since 1900
Earthquakes that caused deaths or significant damage, or of magnitude 7.5 and above (NOAA).
Deadliest
- 1907Kingston · M 6.21,000 deaths
Regions
Regions with volcanoes, major earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones or famous faults.
Tsunamis
1 major tsunami has reached Jamaica since 1900. The deadliest and highest are listed below.
- 1907Tsunami (Jamaica) · 2.5 m
Tropical Cyclones
6 major tropical cyclones have made landfall in Jamaica since 1950. The deadliest and most powerful are listed below.
- 2012Hurricane Sandy · 139 km/h254 deaths
- 2025Hurricane Melissa · 269 km/h
- 1988Hurricane Gilbert · 204 km/h
- 1951Hurricane Charlie · 157 km/h
- 2008Hurricane Gustav · 111 km/h
- 2021Hurricane Grace · 93 km/h
Sources : Natural Earth · Wikidata · INFORM Risk Index (1 September 2026 v 0.7.3), Commission européenne, CC BY 4.0 · NOAA NCEI · ThinkHazard!, GFDRR, CC BY · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution