Hurricane Ivan, a category 3 system with sustained winds of 115mph, impacted Grenada and its dependencies on Tuesday, September 7th 2004, leaving a trail of damage. According to initial reports, eighty per cent (80%) of the country was reported to have been demolished with at least eighty- nine per cent (89%) of the housing stock being destroyed. In addition unconfirmed reports placed the number of persons dead at twentyeight.

This study to undertake a Macro-economic and Social Assessment of the effects of Hurricane Emily on the performance of the Grenadian economy, only ten months after the passage of Hurricane Ivan, was requested by the Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Keith Mitchell. Discussions on logistical details were subsequently held with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. In order to prepare for the conduct of the assessment, the Director of the Social and Sustainable Development Division and the Senior Communications Officer in the OECS Secretariat visited Grenada on the 17th and 18th of July. The assessment team was then assembled and mobilized by the 20th of July, six days after the hazard event.