If you are getting ready to travel to or book a vacation to Aruba, you might be wondering about what kind of risk you will have regarding hurricanes. The Caribbean is well known for getting hit very hard by hurricanes and so you’re trying to get a better understanding of the specific risks for Aruba. Does Aruba get hurricanes?
Yes, Aruba can get hit by hurricanes, but the risk is very low in comparison to other Caribbean islands. Aruba is on the southern outskirt of what is considered the hurricane belt, so much so that some even believe Aruba to be outside of the hurricane belt. Hurricane Felix in 2007 (category 2) was the last hurricane to touch Aruba, causing minor damage.
Hurricane season peaks from late August through September. In this article we will discuss Aruba’s hurricane history and Aruba’s place in the hurricane belt so that you have a better idea of what to expect during your vacation to the island.
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Does Aruba Get Hurricanes?
As we discussed above, hurricanes in Aruba are quite uncommon. Aruba is well-known for being one of the safest places to visit in the entire region regarding hurricane risk. Its neighbors Bonaire and Curacao are also very safe when it comes to hurricanes.
Despite the low risk, yes, Aruba has been hit by hurricanes in the past (albeit only a handful or so). Let’s discuss Aruba’s hurricane history.
Aruba Hurricane History
Hurricanes since the year 2000 that have had some sort of impact (even if only small) on the island of Aruba:
- 2004 – Ivan
- 2007 – Felix
- 2016 – Matthew (tail whipped near edge)
Looking back on the history of Hurricanes for the island, one will find that the last hurricane to even touch Aruba was Hurricane Felix in 2007. Felix was a Level 2 hurricane that caused minor damages on the island.
These damages from Felix included minimal beach erosion, a relatively small number of palm trees that had been uprooted, and other inconveniences one would attribute to a bad rain storm.
Three years earlier, in 2004, the eye of Hurricane Ivan just missed the island by a few miles. The tail of the storm brought hard rain with strong winds. With sustained winds of 125 mph and gusts of up to 155 mph, Ivan was a formidable storm, however, Aruba did not come close to bearing the brunt of these magnitudes.
The waves produced by Ivan did affect the eastern coast, changing the shape of Baby Beach. It was found that a large mass of corals had been shifted westward and some flooding occurred in the west and northwest coastlines of the island.
Although Ivan was directly responsible for 44 casualties that were suffered in its path, none were reported in Aruba. In the cases of both Felix and Ivan, the most common problem cited was that of flooding. No structural or other damaging effects were reported by either the locals or visitors.
In 2016, hurricane Matthew’s outer edge whipped near Aruba, causing locals to prepare for the worst by stocking up on food and gas, while also boarding up shops and homes.
But in the end, the damage resulted only in minor street flooding and some beach erosion. There were no evacuations of any sort issued on Aruba for hurricane Matthew.
Hitting the history books will show that one has to go back to 1955 to find the previous encounter with a hurricane. This was Hurricane Janet which was also a slight brush by the tail end of the storm.
Other recorded instances involving hurricanes for Aruba are few and far between. These include storms in 1605, 1784, and 1877. In all cases, and where records have been kept, damages seem to be limited to those caused by flooding, and minor repairs caused by the heightened wind speeds.
It takes a rare path for a hurricane to push so far south in the Caribbean Sea that it can make contact with Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, or the Northern edges of South America’s coast.
Is Aruba in the Hurricane Belt?
Aruba is one of the few inhabited islands of the Caribbean that many consider to actually be situated outside the hurricane belt, or at least on the very edge. There is some dispute, depending on which resource you use, on whether or not Aruba is actually inside the hurricane belt.
Its just best to understand that the island of Aruba is right on the outskirt/fringe of what is considered to by the hurricane belt. As we discussed earlier in the article, it takes a rare path for a hurricane to push so far south in the Caribbean sea that the island of Aruba and the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia (South America) come into danger.
The hurricane belt is where massive storms land after being formed in what is known as Hurricane Alley, an area of warm water in the Atlantic that stretches from the west coast of northern Africa to the east coast of Central America and the Gulf Coast.
Many hurricanes form within this area and gain steam on their way to the Caribbean. Luckily, if you have planned a trip to Aruba, rest easy knowing that the island is so far south, that usually hurricanes do not pose a serious risk.
Aruba Hurricanes: Preparing Yourself
Though the chances of getting a hurricane in Aruba are very small, visitors should be prepared whenever a new hurricane watch is announced. Hurricanes passing through the greater region can affect Aruba to some degree.
Getting false alarms is a greater possibility than having an actual hurricane storming through the island, so visitors should be informed that there exists the potential for a cautionary announcement. Knowing that this can occur will reduce anxiety for visitors.
As it is always best to prepare for the worst, in the event of a warning, visitors should stock up on food and water for at least a couple of days. Any supplies that would be useful in the event of a big storm should also be considered.
In any case, local authorities have a good track record of informing locals and visitors promptly. To prepare, I would suggest visiting the National Weather Service’s Huricane Preparedness website (click here) where you can get useful tips and also view current forecasts for the region.