June 1st was the official start of hurricane season, though it’s possible for them to occur prior to June (see graphic, courtesy of the U.S. National Hurricane Center). Cliff’s Notes version: The Coriolis Effect kicks off a hurricane’s cyclonic rotation, while warm air and water temperatures facilitate the heat and condensation required to strengthen and then sustain high-speed winds. The following table shows tropical storms and hurricanes that have affected Costa Rica in one way or another. Typically, hurricanes create pressure systems off our eastern coast, which in turn can have an indirect effect of additional rainfall. June 1st marks the official start of hurricane season. You can find some comparative data regarding other hurricanes, like César and Joan. Even though parts of northern Costa Rica experienced Category 1 hurricane force winds, Hurricane Nate officially made landfall (the location where the eye of the storm first strikes land) along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, not Costa Rica. Although hurricanes form in the Caribbean Sea, they affect the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, due to the circulation of winds and the movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone into the country. You can check all of those out through the beginning of time here. And also this was pretty damn convincing... "Hurricanes in the southern Costa Rica region are a myth! Get in touch. It is a historical record that goes from 1950 to 2012. and the seas are sun is shiningWe are one of the very few locations of the entire Caribbean Basin that are actually immune from hurricanes. Which, in turn, means that hurricanes cannot form within 4 degrees and very rarely (close to never) form within 10 degrees of the equator. And if there's someone I would believe about hurricanes not hitting Costa Rica, it'd definitely be a local. It clearly shows the effects that this type of atmospheric phenomena inflicts on the country. Slow Living Required: Costa Rica’s Inversionista (Investor’s) Program, 6 Local Superfoods to Stock in Your Costa Rican Kitchen, Biggest turtle arrival in the last 5 years, Costa Rica is one of the world’s happiest countries. https://retireforlessincostarica.com/could-a-hurricane-hit-costa-rica/, Tico Times article entitled, “Why Hurricanes Rarely Hit Costa Rica,”, Here is a link to the complete original source document, Our January 2020 Costa Rica Cost of Living, Retire for Less in Costa Rica – March 11, 2020, Some Reasons Why We Invested Our Savings in Coopenae, Adventures in Shipping: Transporting 13 Boxes to Costa Rica (AKA: Our Big Move – Part IV), Gardening in Costa Rica with Steve – What to Grow in Peak Rainy Season, Change Your Name Before Moving To Costa Rica, by Rob Evans. The following table shows tropical storms and hurricanes that have affected Costa Rica in one way or another. Note that this is why hurricane season hits during summer/early fall: that’s when the air and water are warm enough (ocean temps must be around 80ºF or higher) reach sufficient temperatures to build and sustain hurricane-force winds. There are people who remain uncertain about hurricanes and how they have impacted Costa Rica, if they affect it directly and indirectly. The slightly longer answer is that no, they don’t, and we are very, very grateful that they don’t. They all get hurricanes, so what makes Costa Rica exempt? And that means, that hurricanes typically form within 20-30 degrees of the equator, where the Coriolis Effect is stronger and winds can spin enough to pick up speed. In recent years, hurricanes (Joan in 1988, César in 1996, and Mitch in 1998), and tropical storms (Alma in 2005 and Thomas in 2010), have caused severe damage in Costa Rica, especially Hurricane César , which caused loss of human lives and extensive damage to the national infrastructure. So, with that in mind, we immediately started looking into how Irma could affect Central America, and that's when we found out there are actually two smaller hurricanes behind Irma, that could go anywhere, as well as another tropical storm affecting Mexico right now....fuck. "In addition, hurricanes that form in the Caribbean are not likely to turn toward Costa Rica. Hurricane Martha, in 1969, has been the only known tropical cyclone to make landfall in Panama. And also this was pretty damn convincing... Another in a long list of myths about the Southern Caribbean region. Copyright © 2008-2020 RetireForLessInCostaRica.com. (We’ll get into the science of why not, below.) You can check all of those out through the beginning of time here. There’s a lot of science behind this force but in a nutshell, the Coriolis Effect is the result of the Earth’s rotation and it influences winds – specifically, the turning of winds. And that, Kalia neighbors, is why we are so grateful to live where we do: for us, hurricane season means a little extra rain – nothing more. And, since hurricane season falls during our green season (May through November), that can mean a lot of rain. Long story short, I guess we'll be looking forward to blue skies, calm winds and some excellent vibes down in Puerto Viejo. Here’s what it does differently. Good. To understand why and how hurricanes bypass Costa Rica, we must first discuss the basics of hurricanes and all their various iterations: tropical storms, tropical depressions, etc. During the hurricane season, June 1st – Nov. 30th, Costa Rica will occasionally feel the effects of these major hydro-meteorological events. However, hurricanes do get as far south as the Atlantic coastlines of Nicaragua and Honduras. Look at the map below, produced by the IMN with respect to Hurricane Mitch. Here is a link to the complete original source document (in Spanish) and our English translation below of the most relevant sections: Hurricanes are atmospheric phenomena that cause more damage to Costa Rica, either through severe flooding, mudslides or landslides. All Rights Reserved. Okay, But Why Don’t Hurricanes Hit Costa Rica? Truthfully, the timing couldn't have been worse. Bet the title caught ya, didn't it? 26 The last thing we want is for any of our customers to spend a week being rained on, and not being able to enjoy themselves, workout, or go out while on vacation, so what should we do? It works like this: Hurricanes can develop when three conditions are present (and they ALL must be present): warm ocean water, warm air, and wind (aka the Coriolis Effect, or Coriolis Force). Caribbean tropical storms either turn northward or continue westward due to the steering currents of trade winds from the east, then a clockwise flow around a semi-permanent area of high pressure to the north. All that explanation and the why is still as clear as mud, right? Now, hurricanes don’t hit Costa Rica but that doesn’t mean we don’t feel their effects. etc. Costa Rica passes law against racism and violence in stadiums. Costa Rica is located at 9.55 degrees north of the equator, below the path of most hurricanes.