The hurricane belt is one of the concerns that most people have when visiting the Caribbeans. The Caribbean offers great weather year-round and amazing views on both the beach and in the water. However, they are also known for the hurricanes that visit them on a regular basis.
Aruba is not in the hurricane belt and doesn’t have much of a history when it comes to hurricanes. This is the reason that loads of Americans decide to visit Aruba during their trip.
Besides Aruba, both Bonaire and Curacao are great islands outside the hurricane belt as well. With an average of one hurricane per 20 years, it’s fair to say that the chances of facing a hurricane during your stay are slim.
What is the Hurricane Belt exactly?
The hurricane belt is an area in the Atlantic Ocean which is likely to get hurricanes during the Atlantic hurricane season. An Atlantic hurricane is a tropical cyclone that forms in the Atlantic Ocean, usually in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer or autumn, with winds of at least 74 miles per hour.
The hurricane belt is located around the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. There are a couple of Caribbean islands that are not regularly affected by hurricanes. The following islands are outside the hurricane belt:
- Barbados
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Grenada
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Bonaire
- Curacao
- Aruba
- Providencia Island
- San Andrés
- The islands off Venezuela
How do hurricanes form?
Hurricanes typically form over tropical waters in areas of high humidity, light winds and warm sea surface temperatures. These circumstances can be found between the latitudes 8 and 20 north.
The ideal temperature for a hurricane to form is 79 degrees Fahrenheit. If the seawater is lower, it will most likely weaken the hurricane. The real trouble starts when the water is warmer than the air, which can grow the hurricane rapidly.
The waters are only at the right temperature in the months of July until October. This is the period of the year where you’ll find hurricanes in the Caribbean, and even in Florida.
Creating of these cyclones usually starts just west of Africa. The cyclone increases in strength on its way to the Caribbean. Once it gets there, it evolved into a fully grown hurricane.
Why is Aruba relatively free of hurricanes?
There are a couple of reasons why Aruba doesn’t get hit by hurricanes that often. The biggest reasons are the dry air, strong wind shear and cool ocean water.
Aruba is a very dry island. It doesn’t rain often and the air isn’t as humid as in other parts of the Caribbean. This helps to reduce the risk of a hurricane.
The strong wind shear helps to break potential forming hurricanes or cyclones, breaking them down in an early stage.
The ocean around Aruba is relatively cool. The Caribbean Sea between Venezuela/Panama/CostaRica and Cuba/Haïti/DominicanRepublic is cooler than other parts of the sea round. Humid air and warm seas combined are a recipe for hurricanes.
What is the Weather in Aruba like?
Let’s assume you’ve made the decision to go to Aruba. Great choice, if you ask me! But what’s the best time to visit Aruba?
The answer is both simple and complicated at the same time. The best time to visit Aruba is now! The island has great weather year-round which makes it the perfect destination every part of the year.
This makes it hard since I can’t give you a clear answer when it comes to the best time of the year to travel to Aruba. But on a positive note, you can get tickets when they are cheap and you don’t have to worry about the weather!
Aruba has just two seasons, being the raining season and the dry season. The raining season does know rainfall, but the clouds disappear as fast as they appeared, so there is still loads of time to enjoy the sunshine in the raining season.
The dry season can get very, very hot. Just to give an idea, August is considered the hottest month of the year on the island, with an average daily maximum of 95 degrees and a low of 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The coolest month of the year is January, with an average daily maximum of 86 and a minimum of 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
As you can see, there is not a huge difference between both of the seasons. The biggest difference will be the chances of rainfall.
Aruba’s History of Hurricanes
So Aruba is not in the hurricane belt and hurricanes are not likely to hit the island. However, there is always a chance. In the past, a hurricane hit the island once a century.
The last known hurricanes were in 1605, 1784, 1877, 1955 and 2005. However, the last two (Ivan and Janet) were less severe. The eye of the hurricane missed the island, only the tail of the hurricane reached Aruba.
Besides the actual hurricanes, there have also been loads of false alarms. It’s hard to say what the exact route of a hurricane is going to be. That’s why there can be hurricane warnings, which end up being tropical storms only.
What to do during a Hurricane
Ok, the chances of finding yourself in a hurricane in Aruba are slim. But you never know what mother nature will do in the future. So what should you do if you have to survive a hurricane?
Hurricanes are extremely powerful and they will tear everything on their path apart. First of all, follow instruction from your hotel or resort. They might gather everybody in a window-free room or they might evacuate you from the building.
Do you have to stay in the building on your own? Follow these tips that will help you to stay as safe as possible during the storm:
- If available, use a portable radio to listen to updates and wait for instructions that come through the radio.
- Stay inside and stay away from windows and glass doors. Safest place in a hotelroom is probably your bathroom or a closet.
- Do not exit the building before the end of the storm has been confirmed. The eye of the storm is surprisingly peaceful. You might think the storm is over, finding yourself in the middle of the hurricane.
Is the hurricane over? Follow instructions from the local authorities. Also, call your traveling agency to see if they can get you home. Traveling agencies usually offer this option after a hurricane, as long as the airport is available.
