Hurricanes may hit Saint Lucia any time between June and November, which is the Atlantic hurricane season. This also corresponds with the island's rainy season. Heavy showers can move in at any time, so residents and visitors should always be ready, but often the weather clears up soon after. Even with the risk of tropical systems moving in, visiting during these months is still encouraged. Meteorological technology can predict storms in advance, allowing time to prepare.
In July 1960, Hurricane Abby struck Saint Lucia with 80 mph winds. Six children were killed in a landslide, and the storm severely damaged plantations and destroyed the island's banana crop. The eye of Hurricane Allen passed just south in 1980, caused $235 million in damage and killed six people. Hurricane Dean passed between Martinique and Saint Lucia in 1994 with 100 mph winds. It blew the roof off part of a hospital and caused extensive damage to bridges, roofs and utility poles.
There doesn't have to be a direct hit to be severe damage. As with hurricanes Abby and Allen, Hurricane David passed 40 miles to the north in 1979, with 145 mph winds. Heavy tree damage was reported throughout. Also, statistical averages don't predict whether the island will be affected or not in any given year. Saint Lucia has been affected by storms in consecutive years, in 1979 and 1980, and not at all for several years, such as between 1980 and 1993.
If planning to visit Saint Lucia, travelers should start keeping track of the weather several days in advance of their visit. Being in the hurricane belt, Saint Lucia will get advanced warning of storms that are moving across the Atlantic and potentially targeting the island. Hurricane Abby caused serious road damage, food shortages and even famine. It is dangerous and even life-threatening to be stuck in such a situation.
Saint Lucia is heavily dependent on crop production and export, as well as tourism from the U.S. and Europe. Bananas, mangos and avocados are the main crops and are vulnerable to high winds and flooding. Hurricane Abby, mentioned above, is a prime example of what crop devastation can do to the island. The increase in hurricanes during the 1990s and this decade has caused a decline in crop exports, as well as a decline in tourism.
