The Most Dangerous Month For A Vacation To The Bahamas

The worst time for your wallet to visit the Caribbean might be during the winter travel high season, but even more frightening than high prices is a devastating storm surge. September's hurricane risk makes it the most dangerous month to plan a trip to the Bahamas. According to NOAA's historical hurricane tracks, the Bahamas has seen an average of almost two storms per year pass within 30 miles of shore since 1993. Not every year sees a storm, but some see multiple. In 2005, six different storms threatened Bahamian shores.

While hurricane season officially lasts from the beginning of June until the end of November, September 10 marks the official peak of Atlantic hurricane activity, and the entire month holds an infamous record for most hurricanes in a 30-day period, with 10 named storms in 2020.  The worst storm ever to hit the Bahamas, hurricane Dorian in 2019, stalled over the nation for almost two days in September, killing 74 and leaving another 282 unaccounted for as of 2023. Simply put, September is a bad month to be in a potential hurricane path. You can still plan a trip to the Bahamas during this time, but you should definitely get travel insurance, and you might want to reconsider any sailing trips. 

Again, you can still go to the Bahamas in September — you might even find cheaper rates than usual. Just be ready to get out in a hurry, and be sure to pack your raincoat. If you'd rather not spend the weeks leading up to your trip becoming an amateur meteorologist, pick a different time of year for your vacation to the Caribbean. The easy answer is anytime outside of hurricane season. But if you're going to pick one month, focus on May. Slotted into the calendar just after April's showers, May sees no hurricanes, the sixth-fewest amount of air traffic to the Bahamas, and, crucially, an abundance of fresh mangoes and pineapples. 

Mango season is a great time to be in the Caribbean, and hurricanes won't even be on the radar until June, so you can enjoy tropical fruits on white sand without keeping one eye on the horizon. More broadly, the sweet spot for a Bahamas vacation is after spring break trips start to die down in mid-April and before hurricane season heats up in July. June carries slight risks as the start of hurricane season, but seeing major storms that early in the season is a rare occurrence.

If September is the only time you can make this trip happen, have no fear. Turn your eyes away from the eye of the storm and consider flights to the several Caribbean islands safe from hurricanes. The best way to ensure safe passage during hurricane season is to avoid the "hurricane belt" — the geographical zone most frequently hit by Atlantic storms. The further you are from this area, the less likely you will be to take an evac flight.

There are plenty of great Atlantic island destinations that sit away from this line, including gems like the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao), as well as Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago. These destinations aren't completely impervious to hurricane risk, but the chances of storm encounters are incredibly low. One study found that dual island Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada are the two Caribbean island nations with the lowest physical exposure to storms. The ABC islands are further still from the belt, making up the westernmost part of the Leeward Isles.  

When it comes to boat deposits and airplane tickets, you're usually better off safe than trying to get refunds for bad weather. All of these islands present much safer bets in September than the Bahamas. The safest option is to book a trip to Curaçao, as only four hurricanes or tropical storms have ever passed within 10 miles of this iconic fall honeymoon destination.