COASTAL-ZONE HAZARD MAPS: WESTERN PUERTO RICO

A series of hazard maps for portions of the western and northwestern Puerto Rico coastal zone have been created for use as a quick visualization tool for coastal planners, managers, property owners, and potential property owners. The technique followed was that of Bush et al. (2001)—using published, readily-available data, and compiling it into a simple-to-read map format. The Puerto Rico shoreline is heavily developed in places and is also highly compartmentalized in terms of shoreline type, geology, and adjacent shelf conditions. A high population density along with the intense development of industrial, commercial, public and private property in the coastal zone has placed people and their built environment at risk. Most development has taken place without knowledge or regard for the natural hazards which affect the coastal zone, and the predictable results have been and will continue to be recurring disasters. The hazards on the shoreline include coastal erosion, storm surge, riverine flooding, sea-level rise, tsunamis, along with many others. Five types of hazards were considered while creating these maps: (S) Shoreline-setting hazards (long-term coastal problems), (M) marine hazards (short-term impacts of coastal storms), (R) riverine hazards (historical floods), (D) developmental hazards (high-density development at risk) and (E) engineering hazards (engineering projects affecting the shoreline or indicating an already-existing problem). Earthquake and slope hazards were not present in this study area, but are a major consideration along many parts of the Puerto Rico coast. Shoreline segments were ranked as being at extreme, high, moderate, or low risk, depending on the number of hazards present within the segment. The hazards maps provide a basis for hazard mitigation and management recommendations. As coastal conditions change, especially with global warming, sea-level rise, and likely increasing development and tourism pressure, the assessments can easily be revisited and updated at very low cost.