Due to the exceptionally high costs of natural disasters, economic activity after natural events has further plunged the country into debt where they became one of the three largest borrowers form the Caribbean Development Bank in 2017. 

In 2014 hurricane Gonzalo affected the country however it isn’t after hurricane Irma made landfall as a category 5 storm on September 6th, 2017, followed by Hurricane Maria on 18th September 2017 that caused catastrophic effects to the country and its economic stability. Damage assignments from hurricane Irma and Maria was conducted by the World Bank Group; ‘concluding that the total damage of the hurricanes Irma and Maria for Antigua and Barbuda comes to EC$ 367.5 million (US$ 136.1 million), while losses amount to approximately EC$ 51.2 million (US$ 18.9 million). Recovery needs amount to EC$ 600.1 million (US$ 222.2 million)’ .