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The Atlantic hurricane season lasts every year from June the 1st through to November the 30th, so here are a few tips to make sure you and your Casa de Campo villa are fully prepared.
Before we begin with the tips: please remember that the Dominican Republic is affected by heavy rain and strong winds during hurricane season – it is extremely rare for this country to experience a “direct hit” from an actual hurricane (since 1930 the Dominican Republic has only been “hit” my 11 hurricanes.)
In fact during Hurricane Season, the Dominican Republic is most typically affected by “Tropical Depressions” – slow moving tropical cyclone systems which bring lots of rain and some wind and occasionally “Tropical Storms” – tropical cyclone systems with a lot of rain and some strong winds.
Both Tropical Depressions and Tropical Storms can and do develop into hurricanes (if the system gets more “organized”) but that does not typically happen near/over this country, as these systems gather energy from large stretches of ocean (such as over the Atlantic ocean between Africa and the United States.)
Get ready NOW: Hurricane / storm prepardedness tips!
A few things you should do/get ready now (just in case)…..
1. Prune your garden
It is always safe and a good idea to trim branches from any trees (especially palm trees) near your Casa de Campo villa. Making sure any “dead” or precarious branches are cut down will prevent them blowing off in high winds and causing damage.2 – Keep informed!
Its important to keep up to date with news concerning the weather forecast! Whilst we at Casa de Campo Living will do our best to keep you informed, we recommend the following for keeping extra-informed:• www.nhc.noaa.gov – The National Hurricane Centre
• www.weather.com – The Weather Channel
• ONAMET.gov.do – the Dominican Republic’s official weather warning people (this one is in Spanish)
• Twitter: We recommend following NHC_Atlantic – for regular tweets on hurricanes, tropical storms etc
• Facebook: Follow – http://www.facebook.com/US.NOAA.NationalHurricaneCenter.gov3 – Towels etc for flooding
With so much rain even the nicest, newest Casa de Campo villa is at risk of flooding/leaks – so it’s a good idea to make sure you have a supply of old towels to lay around leaking windows/doors and around any “indoor” gardens/landscaping your home may have.4 – Prepare a “hurricane kit”
You never know how long a storm/hurricane will take to go away. A good idea is to go to a nearby supermarket and buy some food for at least 3 days (canned food, bottled water, cokes, juices, crackers), as well as medicines normally included in a first aid kit (bandages, cotton, iodine, pain killers, alcohol, batteries, lanterns, candles, matches etc). If a hurricane is coming you don’t want to get to the supermarket and found that they’ve sold out of water!
Click here for a full list of everything you will need.5. Stock up on strong electrical tape
If a storm is coming it is typical to protect windows/patio doors by putting tape in a “x” across the glass – so it’s a good idea to have some in your house!
6. Where will you go? What will you do?
Odds are it won’t happen, but if a hurricane is coming – you will need somewhere to wait out the storm. It’s a good idea to choose in advance which room will be your “safe room” – select an interior room with no windows, usually a bathroom.7. If you are NOT at your Casa de Campo villa for hurricane season – make sure in advance that you home is safe.
If you have a villa manager – make sure they know how to prepare your villa for a hurricane or if you don’t it would be a good idea to prepare in advance by bringing all outdoor furniture indoors (including hanging light fixtures), closing shutters/boarding up if you feel it is necessary.
That is everything you should do NOW to make sure you and your family will be safe and prepared in case of a hurricane. In fact, most of those tips are useful in case of heavy rain / a normal thunder storm – especially the one about the towels…..
So although it is unlikely that a hurricane will hit the Dominican Republic – it is a possibility, so in the worst case scenario, this is what you should do:
What to do in case of storm and hurricane alerts
If a storm/hurricane is on it’s way and if you cannot leave the country/area, this is what you should do:
1 – Trim a few branches from trees nearby
Take advantage of your gardener before he goes home – and chop off the biggest and most dangerous looking branches of any trees near your home.2 – Put away any objects or furniture outside your villa
Any and all furniture, decorations and hanging/loose light fightings outside your Casa de Campo villa should be brought inside.3 – Keep informed!
The news/your neighbours and even Facebook told you a storm was coming – but regardless keep yourself informed – refer to the websites above. You may also like to contact the Casa de Campo Villa Owners Club for the latest Casa de Campo related advice, Tel: 809-523-21614 – Protect glass windows and doors
We recomend villa owners protect windows/patio doors by placing strong electrical tape diagonally to form an X. This reduces the likelihood of broken windows or doors and if they do break will prevent the pieces from damaging people or objects inside your home.5. Prevent flooding with sandbags and towels
Create a barrier around your exterior windows/doors using sandbags and on the inside, towels.6 – Gather your family (and pets) as well as your “hurricane kit” – and go to your “safe room”
As soon as your villa is as prepared as possible (or winds start to pick up) – gather all your family, including all your pets and go to your “safe room” (an interior room with no windows) and take your “hurricane kit” with you! Do not be tempted to look out of windows and doors – that is extremely dangerous!Click here for a full list of everything you will need in your “hurricane kit”
These are only tips for your safety, there is no need to panic!!! Fortunately for us living in the Dominican Republic, whilst we are invariably affected by some bad weather associated with hurricanes passing typically to the North they do not normally make landfall.
This year “Hurricane Season” is predicted to be “active”– with as many as 20 named storms with 7-11 Hurricanes and 3-6 Major Hurricanes. – click here to read more about the Hurricane Season 2013 forecast.
Remember that “Hurricane Season” does not mean endless months of rainy days, there will be rain. BUT here is the good news, there is always plenty to do in Casa de Campo on sunny days and rainy days……
Click here for our “Top 10 things to do in Casa de Campo on a rainy day!”
Top photo: A storm surge caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011 as she passed to the north of the Dominican Republic – click here for more photos!