The hurricane season in Belize corresponds with the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th. Hurricane season is often referred to as the rainy season here, with heavy tropical storms and hurricanes usually more active toward the end of the rainy season. This is when some parts of the country are most often prone to experience flooding.
However, with increasing sea water temperatures, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US predicted that more hurricanes could form earlier in the Atlantic hurricane season in 2024, and with Cat 5 Hurricane Beryl forming in the Caribbean in June 2024, it appears that these predictions were accurate. Beryl was the first ever Cat 5 storm to form in the Atlantic prior to July 1st.
History of the hurricane season in Belize
Records for hurricanes in Belize date back to 1891, and since that time, only two Cat 5 hurricanes have either directly hit Belize, or have come close to hitting the country. The first was Hurricane Janet in 1955, and the second, more recent, was Hurricane Dean in 2007. This year, Hurricane Beryl, was also a Cat 5, and it was a close call for northern Belize.
Along with the two Cat 5 hurricanes, Belize has experienced three Cat 4 hurricanes. One of these Cat 4 storms, the British Honduras Hurricane, struck Belize City in September 1931, and it killed 2,500 people, making it the most deadly hurricane in the country’s history.
Another Cat 4 hurricane, Hattie, struck Belize City in October 1961, and the damage in the city was so extensive that Belize decided to move the capital from Belize City to Belmopan. Much of Belize City sits at, or even below, sea level; thus, anytime there are heavy rains, even without a major storm, there can be flooding in the city.
It appears that since 1891, a total of 24 hurricanes have hit Belize, and 8 of these were major hurricanes which caused significant damage. Belize has experienced a direct hit by a hurricane, on average, every 6.33 years, with the longest gap between storms being 9 years. Belize has been hit by a major hurricane about every 22 years.
Rainy season means more than hurricanes in Belize
First, I have to say that the start of the rainy season is often welcome in much of Belize. Parts of the country are prone to wildfires in the dry season, and in 2024, there were a record number of these fires, so many Belizeans welcomed the rainy season.
Also, in some years, the dry season can be extremely dry. In the first half of 2024, much of Belize suffered from drought conditions. As many in Belize rely on catchment water to fill their cisterns, the lack of rain water can be a real problem. I know several folks who spent thousands of dollars to have water shipped in to fill their cisterns this year.
At my place in northern Belize, the pond behind my house dried up completely during the rainy season, and along with the water, went the ducks, egrets, stilts, jabiru, wood storks, and the other birds who made regular stops to visit. After just two weeks of fairly heavy rain, the pond, and some of the birds, came back!
Some Belizeans also call the earlier part of the rainy season, the ‘green season’ because so there is so much new growth, with many areas magically transforming from brown to green in a matter of just a few weeks.
Impact of heavy rain during the hurricane season in Belize
Because many parts of Belize are very low lying, with many areas just at or below sea level, even if the country is not affected by a hurricane during the hurricane season, it is still likely that flooding will occur at times.
Rainfall in Belize varies a great deal from north to south. In northern Belize, in the Corozal district near the Mexican border, the average annual rainfall is about 50 inches, but average rainfall increases as you travel south. For example, Belize City sees about 75 inches of rain per year while Punta Gorda, in southern Belize, has around 175 inches of rain per year.
Even though I live in the driest part of the country, this year, early in the season, June 2024, without a tropical storm or hurricane in the neighborhood, parts of the Corozal district had over 12 inches of rain over 6 days, and many of the small villages surrounding Corozal were subject to serious flooding.
Where I live, three miles north of Corozal, the only road between my place and town was impassable for several days, and when I drove to town three or four days after the rain had stopped, there was still a foot of water on the road.
Some of the impacts of heavy rain in Belize are exacerbated by a general lack of storm drainage on many roads. While some of the newer cross-country highways have become much better in recent years, many of the secondary roads still lack any kind of storm drainage and are still prone to heavy flooding, or perhaps becoming huge, impenetrable muddy tracks.
What is the recent history of tropical storms or hurricanes in Belize?
While hurricanes get all of the press, tropical storms can also wreak havoc in the Caribbean. As you can see from the chart, there have been a combination of 13 tropical storms and hurricanes which have caused significant damage in Belize since 2000.
The biggest difference between a tropical storm and a Cat 1 or greater hurricane is that a tropical storm has sustained surface wind speeds of between 39 mph-73 mph (63 kph-118 kph), and a hurricane has sustained surface winds of greater than 73 mph (118 kph).
I have experienced several slow-moving tropical storms in Belize, and they have produced massive amounts of rainfall over several days. While I was living in San Pedro, in 2020, the island went months without any rainfall, even during much of the rainy season.
However, late in the rainy season, we were hit with back-to-back tropical storms, the second of which dumped about 12 inches of rain on us in 17 hours or so. I spent 10-12 consecutive hours carrying 5 gallon buckets of water off of my property to try to save what at the time were newly renovated apartments on the first floor.
While I likely prevented a great deal of damage, we still had 3-4 inches of water in both of the brand new apartments, despite having had just raised the entire foundation by eight inches or so. I learned some valuable lessons from my first major tropical storm in Belize. First, I learned that there was very little natural drainage and no storm drains in my area of San Pedro.
Second, I also discovered that the ground water on parts of the island is only about 12 inches below the surface, and without any storm drainage infrastructure, once there has been sustained heavy rain for a few days, there is simply nowhere for the water to go. Even the street in front of my house became a navigable river, and I could not get the golf cart out for at least three days.
The lesson here is to realize that just because a storm doesn’t become a hurricane does not mean that it won’t negatively impact certain areas of the country, especially low-lying areas.
If you are considering a move to Belize, this is one reason that many long-time expats here recommend that you come down and rent for at least six months to a year prior to thinking about buying real estate in Belize. If you live in an area through both the dry and rainy seasons, you are likely to learn a lot about areas which may be prone to flooding or that might be cut off if the only access roads tend to flood during really rainy weather.
During hurricane season in Belize, what are the best sources of information?
Belize has a population of only around 420,000, and it often seems that the entire country, businesses, the press, local town councils, and even national government offices, operate on Facebook.
With so many people in Belize looking to Facebook for general information, including information about a potential hurricane strike, there is lots of potential for inaccurate information and drama in general.
These are the sources I recommend to find the latest, most accurate information concerning any potential weather-related emergency in Belize:
- Government of Belize Press Office Facebook Page: This is the primary means of communication used by the government of Belize to communicate official messages and information to the public.
- NOAA Hurricane Center: The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration site is the best place to find updates on the track of a potential hurricane.
- NEMO Belize: The National Emergency Management Organization of Belize mission statement says: NEMO in cooperation with the respective Emergency Management Committees, and all Public and Private Agencies, is established to preserve life and property throughout the country of Belize in the event of an emergency, threatened or real, and to mitigate the impact on the country and its people.
- National Meteorological Service of Belize Facebook Page: NMS Belize is the national weather service of Belize; they also have a website at: NMS Belize.
- Windy.com: I learned about Windy from several Belizean boat captains and tour guides when I lived in San Pedro. They believed that of the free weather apps available, Windy had most accurate forecasts for Belize. I have found it to be very useful.
Final thoughts on hurricane season in Belize
Having lived on islands located in potential hurricane zones for most of the past 25 years, hurricane season in Belize is something that feels almost natural to me; however, this does not mean that I don’t pay close attention and make preparations when there is a potential storm approaching.
One must remember, in this small, developing nation, in the event that a major hurricane makes landfall in Belize, search and rescue and recovery efforts will likely take a lot longer than in a large, developed country which can stage significant resources near the potential landfall zone prior to the storm.
Even in the US and other developed countries, when a major storm hits, we have seen time and again the struggle to get the necessary resources to the people who need them most. Here in Belize, one likely needs to prepare for a much longer recovery period in the event of a serious strike.
Friends in San Pedro told me that they were without running water, electricity, or phone service for at least two months after Hurricane Keith in 2000. And it took many more months to clean up the mess on the island.
The hurricane season in Belize brings the rain that the plants and animals need to prosper, and it also fills up the dry cisterns of thirsty humans who don’t have access to Belize Water Service. However, along with green plants, flowers, and happy critters, the hurricane season will also likely bring flooding to some, and on occasion, it can bring disaster for many.
Remember, it might take some people a little longer to prepare for a potential hurricane in Belize, as many people rely on bicycles and public transportation to get to work and to go shopping, and some people live a good distance away from work in a town’s surrounding villages, so if businesses close a little early to allow employees to get home to prepare their families, like for most things in Belize, a little patience goes a long way.