Sarah J. Says:
What’s hurricane season like in Belize?
IL Belize Correspondent Shane Kenny Says:
Hi Sarah,
The season spans June through November, and in my experience in Belize so far it’s the last two months that are the most potentially active for us.
Before I go any further, let me state for the record: I am not a meteorologist. What I know about hurricanes in Belize comes from what I’ve been told, and what I’ve observed.
When it comes to hurricanes, Belize has several natural protections that make it hard for a strong hurricane to make landfall.
Atlantic hurricanes typically generate from severe thunderstorms off of Africa that head in a generally westward path. The storms we keep the closest eye on are the ones that stay on a mostly westward track with a slight northern curve. These are the storms that get into the Caribbean, where they can gain strength before making landfall.
For Belize, Honduras provides some natural protection. Hurricanes that are most likely to be on a potential path to hit Belize have a high chance of clipping Honduras first. This interaction with land either breaks them up or weakens the storm before it arrives here.
We also get added protection from the Mayan mountains to the west of the Belizean coastline. Since hurricanes are usually large storms, the outer bands of a hurricane start interacting with the mountains before the center of the storm makes landfall, helping to break apart and weaken the storm.
Don’t misunderstand, the potential for a major hurricane to make landfall here does exist. But for a storm to hit Belize, it needs to pass by Honduras, slow down enough to pick-up strength, and then speed up before making landfall to erase the protection of the mountains to our west.
It has happened. October 9th, 2001, Hurricane Iris made landfall just south of where I live as a Category 4 storm, packing winds of 145 mph. While I wasn’t here at the time, I’ve heard the stories and seen the pictures. Placencia suffered severe damage.
Today, we’re better prepared. Construction methods are better, forecasting of a storm’s path and its potential danger has vastly improved, and we have hurricane plans in-place in the event we need to protect our property or potentially leave.
No matter where you move, you’ll need to adapt to the country’s environmental uniqueness. Just remember, the locals have been living there long before you. If they can live with it, so can you.
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