Hi! I posted this worry in the Southern Caribbean section, and got some good feedback and direction to look at history of hurricanes per island during Sept and Oct. It sure looks risky to go. Anyone else going in Sept or Oct to southern Caribbean islands (or other islands) and if so, how do you weigh the possibility of tons of rain from tropical storms or worse hurricanes this year?
I know so many of you are frequent travelers to this area and can give me some insights and point of view. I know there is always trip insurance, but that doesn't help with the let down of planning and then not getting to go or getting there and watching it rain.
We are trying to celebrate our wedding anniversary which is why Sept. But, may need to celebrate 'off month' from the actual date if too risky to go!
Thanks in advance for the insights and thoughts. And we are thinking Grenada. I know Bonaire has the least risk but it's too expensive to get to.
thx!

It's always a crap shoot. In 2010 we went to SXM in mid oct, had about 15 inches of rain one day. Following days were great. Good luck, enjoy whateved comes.

Sorry, but there's just no way to predict if a hurricane/tropical storm will affect any given island during any specific week in September/October. The reality is during any given year there will be some 10 to 15 "named storms" and perhaps 6 or so will make landfall on or come close to one or more islands. Which islands, if any, are anybody's guess. The Atlantic/Caribbean is vast covering over 41 million square miles. The point being, even if there is a major storm brewing it may not come anywhere close to the island you are visiting. Typically a given island will experience a major hurricane every 3 or 4 years but sometimes they can occur more often.

You can research the historical frequency of hurricanes on any given island at www.stormcarib.com - use the "Climatology" link at the top of the Home Page, then scroll down and select "Hits & Misses" then click on the island you are considering. You'll be directed to a chart showing the dates of every major storm that affected that island since 1851.

By the way, if a storm does visit the island while you are there you can expect a day or two of unsettled weather. After the storm passes chances are you'll experience some very nice weather conditions.

Now, all that being said, September and October are the peak month for storms which is why it is "off season" in the Caribbean. In addition to the risk of storms many resorts and restaurants will be closed.

If you do decide to travel at that time you'd be wise to purchase Travel Insurance with "Trip interruption" coverage in the event you have to cancel because of a storm.

We are not doing so this year. However, we did go to Aruba in September some time ago. It was surprisingly humid for Aruba even with the "breezes."

You just never know. We booked a family cruise in early November a few years ago. A hurricane went through about a week before we were to leave. By the time we left it was in New England, however, we still felt the effects in the Caribbean--very rough seas.

Even if you book a vacation outside of the hurricane belt, your travel plans could still be affected depending on where the hurricane is and where you are flying from.

We usually just go ahead and make our plans knowing that weather certainly could impact them. So far other than a rough cruise we've never had a problem and like traveling in the Caribbean in the fall.

Sue

The latest reasonable scenario we have picked up in the rumor mill is a convoluted theory. We are all aware that most tropical depressions form in the warm water off the coast of Africa and develop into hurricanes as they travel west. Apparently a huge sandstorm occurred in the Sahara Desert this spring. One effect of the sandstorm was to obscure the sunlight over the eastern Atlantic Ocean. As a result the lower water temperature will reduce the production of hurricanes this season.

Anybody have a better explanation? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

No, but fall hurricanes can develop in the western Caribbean and swing East. Just like hurricane "wrong way Lenny" <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" />in '99. We were in Tortola during that storm and I would never want to experience that again!