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Perhaps the biggest weather concern for visitors (and residents) is hurricane season, which typically begins in June and continues through November. Most of the biggest and longest-lasting storms, however, come through between August and October, with September being prime time. The last monster storm, Hurricane Georges, which tore through the island causing more than a billion dollars in damage and taking nearly 300 lives, hit in September 1998. Hurricane David, which slammed into the island in August 1979, was even more destructive, killing more than 1,000, leaving 10,000 homeless, and doing comparable property damage. In 2004, Hurricane Jeanne destroyed bridges and roads in both the eastern and western ends of the country.
NASA’s satellite image of Hurricane Jeanne as it slams into Hispaniola in 2004.
Major tropical storms, including hurricanes, now hit the DR on an average of once every year or two; the worst can produce violent winds, huge waves, and torrential rains and floods. The biggest hurricanes can achieve widths of hundreds of miles and sweep across much of the region with enormous force. The southern half of the country is the most vulnerable. Hurricane winds begin at 74 miles per hour (119 km per hour) and may reach 120 miles per hour (200 km per hour) or more, with rainfall sometimes topping 20 inches (50 centimeters) in 24 hours. Waves, floods, and mudslides, in fact, often cause more death and destruction than wind damage here.
The “good” news is that the DR usually gets two or three days’ warning before hurricanes (which tend to form off the coast of West Africa) make landfall on the island. Tropical storms are often unpredictable, however, gaining or losing strength and changing course as they cross the ocean.
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