The Dominican Republic spared by Hurricane Irma

Last September, Hurricane Irma devastated part of the Caribbean, leaving behind destroyed regions and devastated populations. This horrific 5-magnitude catastrophe strongly affected the French Antilles and in particular Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Saint Barth, but also Barbados, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the South of Florida.

Fortunately, the hurricane, which was blowing at nearly 300km/h at the time, has passed at 100km off the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, This avoided catastrophic damage. For a few days, the region of Puerto Plata and Cabarete experienced heavy rainfall, some flash floods and power outages, but no hotel infrastructure or any city was truly affected.

Even though the damage remains minimal, the inhabitants of the region still shared their fear with me because they had been following the progress of Hurricane Irma for hours after hours and had already been informed about the situation in the North of the French Antilles… As a precaution, a few thousand people were evacuated from the risk areas. I can’t even imagine the anguish they must have felt before the storm’s arrival and also the relief they felt when they learned that Irma would finally pass off the coast!

When I visited the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, I really didn’t notice anything special in the cities, villages, or around the hotels, except that the level of the lagoons and mangroves had slightly increased and that some wooded areas had been affected by the rains and strong winds. The wild beaches, however, remain magnificent! Today everything has returned to normal and the region is already welcoming many visitors who have come to discover the wonders of the northern part of the Dominican Republic for more than a month now.

If you wish visiting the Dominican Republic, It is best to avoid the hurricane season in September and October. The ideal period to visit is from December to mid-April, but you will also have good weather and high temperatures from April to September.