In December 2003, for the first time in decades, the Caribbean experienced a hurricane after the official hurricane season had ended. In 2003, several SIDS experienced natural disasters and though the impacts were not as severe as in the late 1990s, many lives were lost and thousands affected (Table 3). The most severe impacts were seen in those SIDS that are among the poorest in their respective regions (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Hurricane Fabian struck the Caribbean in September 2003. Vulnerability to natural disasters such as hurricanes are a major concern among SIDS. Source: REUTERS/Noaa-Handout