The “Hurricane Hole” effect in the Dominican Republic

Whenever a significant hurricane or storm hits the US or the Caribbean, such as the recent Helene, the question that always arises from foreigners interested in living and buying property in the DR is how we are affected by hurricanes.

It’s a valid question, and hurricanes remind us that the Dominican Republic is located on an island.

The weather in the DR is tropical all year round, so it’s warm and humid unless you’re up high in the mountains in a place like Jarabacoa or Constanza. We have two seasons, wet and dry.

The wet season (summer) is from May to November, while the dry season (winter) lasts from December through April. It is hot and humid during the wet season, with August being the hottest month with an average high temperature of 32°c (90°F). In the dry season, you’ll enjoy the most pleasant conditions, with the average high temperature around 26°c (80°F).

The Dominican Republic typically starts experiencing storms and hurricanes during the wet season, with the highest risk of hurricane occurrence in August, September, and October.

Despite being located in the Caribbean, the DR is less impacted by hurricanes than other regions due to its natural geographical features and specific weather patterns. The country benefits significantly from two large mountain ranges that run in a V-shape through the island’s center. These mountains act as a natural barrier, causing hurricanes to weaken as they approach. In many cases, the storms dissipate into heavy rain before making landfall, reducing the direct impact of hurricanes.

Furthermore, the Dominican Republic is shielded by neighboring Puerto Rico, which lies east of the island. Hurricanes approaching from the east often hit Puerto Rico first, which can weaken the storms before they reach the Dominican Republic.

Moreover, the relatively shallow waters surrounding the Dominican coast limit the strength of hurricanes. Hurricanes gather their strength from deep, warm waters, so storms tend to intensify after they pass the island and head into deeper parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

As a result, the Dominican Republic often experiences milder tropical storms or heavy rains, while stronger hurricanes tend to bypass the island. This combination of protective geography and shallow surrounding waters creates a “hurricane hole” effect, leading to much quieter hurricane seasons compared to other parts of the region.

For example, in 2017, Hurricane Irma battered Puerto Rico and Dominica, the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and the US. It cost the US an estimated $50 billion in damages, but the DR remained largely unscathed.

Hurricane Maria, also in 2017, devastated most of the Caribbean, but in the DR, we got a few blown-over fences and road signs, a power outage, and some floods on low roads (even then, the roads were passable).
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Maria Abreu is the CEO and Managing Attorney of Abreu & Associates, a law firm practicing exclusively in Dominican Republic Immigration and Nationality law. She is also the founder of Retire and Invest DR. This organization hosts conference events for foreigners interested in living, retiring, and investing in the DR. You can contact Maria at: mabreu@abreuimmigration.com.