St. Maarten hurricane watch

St. Maarten is the smallest island in the world located about two hundred forty kilometers east of Puerto Rico.  This tropical island is shared by two governments and divided roughly in half between the Netherlands and France.  Rich in beautiful beaches, scenic gardens, and lush natural beauty, the island is often called a gem of the Caribbean Sea. 

The island like many other islands in the middle of vast oceans, is occasionally threatened by hurricane activity, especially in the late summer and early fall that usually brings down tourism dramatically during these times.  A lot of restaurants, shops, and other local businesses completely close during hurricane season.

2006 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1, 2006 to November 30, 2006, so if you’re a traveler planning to visit the island on these dates, be on the look out for St. Maarten hurricane watch.  Checking the tropical conditions before leaving by using Weather Channel’s website and Megatropic’s website will give a lot of information on St. Maarten hurricane watch. 

June 1st to November 30th are crucial dates for St. Maarten and tuning in to the Weather Channel broadcasts of their round the clock storm watch will give travelers an update if there’s something going on.  The latest tropical weather conditions through animated satellite photos all through the hurricane season including hurricane watches and warnings, and short-term storm tracks are some of the important information given by the channel.  St. Maarten hurricane watch is generally happens during the peak month of hurricanes which is usually September; hurricanes are uncommon in June, July, and November.

Hurricanes are classified according to strength and are from the Saffir-Simpson Scale.  The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is based on a 1-5 rating on the hurricane’s current intensity.  This gives an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding that may be expected along the shoreline from a hurricane landfall.  The determining factor in the scale is wind speed as storm course values are very dependent on the slope of the continental shelf and the form of the coastline in the landfall area.  It should be noted that winds are using the US 1-minute average.

It is essential for a traveler going to St. Maarten to know the category of hurricane scale stated on a St. Maarten hurricane watch broadcast to be aware of the possible things to happen and be ready for options if caught in the middle.  If you’re visiting the island of St. Maarten from July 1st to November 30th, it would not be a bad idea to bring a flashlight and portable battery-operated radio with you so you’ll quickly be informed if there’s a hurricane watch or warning.  Most hotels and resorts in the island have a standard set of emergency plan if a St. Maarten hurricane watch is issued.