St. Lucia is exposed to the chronic effects of seasonal hurricanes which occur from June 1 to November 30 due to its location in the Atlantic hurricane belt and with 158 km of coastline. In the past, St. Lucia has experienced frequent hurricanes, flooding, and occasional landslides as a result of the steep topography, non-porous rock base and thin clayey soils. The island is also susceptible to volcanic activity with the most active volcanic center, the Qualibou Caldera volcano, located in the southwest of the island.

Similar to neighboring islands, St. Lucia is also vulnerable to seismic activity, as it is located near the eastern side of the Caribbean Plate. Tsunamis are also a potential threat due to volcanic or seismic activity from neighboring countries such as Mt. Pelee in Martinique, or the Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent and the submarine volcano Kick 'em Jenny off the coast of Grenada to the south. The most recent destructive hurricane struck the island in 1994, causing four fatalities and affecting 750 more¹.