Drawing on three years of extensive field research on Jamaica, Antigua, Montserrat, and St. Kitts and Nevis, Berke and Beatley offer detailed analysis of the effects of two recent major hurricanes - Gilbert in 1988 and Hugo in 1989. While focusing on postdisaster recovery, the authors also explore the opportunities offered by the recovery period for strengthening local institutions to provide for long-term social, economic, and physical development.