Hurricane History of Belize
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Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
Affecting Belize Since 1930
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Since 1930, there have been 16 Hurricanes, 8 of which were Major Hurricanes, that have either made landfall in Belize or passed close enough to cause damage or lose of life. Additionally, 17 systems made landfall in Belize as Tropical Storms. Below is a brief synopsis of each of those storms. Most of the information comes from the USA's National Hurricane Center's archives. Click on any image to see the full size picture or map.
1931
Only two tropical systems reached hurricane status in 1931. One Of those, Storm Five, became a major Category 3 hurricane with 125
mph winds. This unnamed Hurricane hit Belize, on September 9th killing approximately 2,500 people.
The other storm to become a Hurricane in 1931 was Storm Six. It made landfall just across the Rio Hondo in Mexico as a
Tropical Storm than became a Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. One other system, Storm Two also made landfall in Belize as a Tropical Storm that year.
1932
Storm Seven was first observed as a Tropical Storm east of the Lesser Antilles on September
25th. It rapidly intensified as it moved westward, reaching a peak of 120 mph winds the next day. It crossed through the northern
islands on the 26th, and struck Puerto Rico on the 27th. After devastating the islands the storm weakened as it headed westward. It made its final
landfall in Northern Belize on October 1st as a Tropical Storm, then crossed the Yucatan Peninsula before
dissipating on October 3 over Mexico. Later known as The San Ciprian Hurricane, it left 225 people dead and caused
$30 million in damage.
Storm Eight formed on October 7th in the central Caribbean Sea northeast of Honduras. It headed northwest, and made landfall
in Belize as a Tropical Storm on October 10. It continued north-northwestward across the Yucatán Peninsula. It then emerged into the
southern Gulf of Mexico on October 12and made a second landfall in Louisiana on October 15. It weakened to tropical depression status
on October 16 in central Alabama before dissipating in southwestern West Virginia
1933
Storm Fourteen developed into a tropical storm over the western Caribbean Sea off the coast of
Guatemala. It moved slowly northward and strengthened, becoming a hurricane on September 12 just east of Belize. On the next day, the hurricane made
landfall on the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, also impacting Northern Belize and the off shore Cayes. The system weakened to a tropical storm as it
moved northwestward across the Yucatán Peninsula. On September 14 it again regained hurricane status over the Bay of Campeche. The hurricane struck
Tampico on September 15 and then dissipated.
The 960 mb pressure reading is the lowest recorded in any storm that did not become a Category 2 hurricane.
Storm Seventeen developed on September 28 from an area of disturbed weather to the east of Costa Rica. It tracked to the
north-northwest and passed near Cabo Gracias a Dios early on September 29. The storm turned to the west into the Gulf of Honduras, and on September 30,
it made landfall on east-central Belize as a Tropical Storm. Shortly thereafter, the system dissipated.
1934
Storm Two carved an erratic path through Central America and the Gulf of Mexico,
causing catastrophic flooding that killed thousands. It formed in the Gulf of Honduras in early June and slowly moved north and then west into Belize as as Tropical Storm.
Over the next four days, it made a slow loop over the same general region of Central America. It went down through Guatemala and El Salvador and
then back north into Honduras and the western Caribbean. Still hugging the coast, it strengthened into a hurricane, making landfall north of Majahual,
Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. It weakened back to a storm as it began to move west across the northern part of the peninsula and into the Bay of
Campeche. The storm slowed down further, making a tight (and rare second) counterclockwise loop then turning northward and gaining speed.
It regained hurricane status, making landfall in Louisiana at Point au Fer Island on the east end of Atchafalaya Bay. The scale of the destruction in
Central America was immense. As many as 3,000 people died in the catastrophic floods. Many places saw in excess of two feet of rain in just 72 hours.
1938
Storm Five formed from a disturbance off the north coast of Honduras on October 11
and almost immediately crossed into Belize as a Tropical Storm, heading north up the Yucatan peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico, where it began to move erratically.
In the central Gulf it made a rather sudden turn toward Florida on October 13. However, a couple of days later, Storm Five slowed down and began to
turn back toward the west northwest finally making landfall along the north Texas coast near Freeport.
1940
1940: Storm Six formed just east of Bluefields, Nicaragua on September 19. It moved
northwestward, hitting that country shortly thereafter moved into the Gulf of Honduras on the 20th. Early the next day, the storm made landfall
in Belize as a Tropical Storm. After crossing the Yucatan Peninsula it moved across the Gulf of Mexico. As it neared the Texan coast, it slowed and turned to the east,
paralleling the Texas and Louisiana coastlines before making landfall on the 24th over southern Louisiana.
1941
The exact origin of Storm Four is not known. It is assumed that the storm formed
from a tropical wave moving off the coast of Africa. It was already a tropical storm when it was detected 75 miles northwest of Barbados. Moving
almost due west, the storm passed south of St Lucia and entered the Caribbean Sea. The storm then rapidly reached hurricane strength as it continued
due west. On September 27, the hurricane strengthened into a category 3 hurricane with maximum winds of 120 mph before making landfall in northeastern
Nicaragua. Still maintaining hurricane strength, the storm crashed though Honduras bringing 100 mph winds to the country. After briefly passing over
the Gulf of Honduras, the hurricane made a second landfall in Belize as a moderate tropical storm on September 28. The storm then moved inland
though Guatemala and the southern Yucatán Peninsula before emerging in the Bay of Campeche as a tropical depression, dissipating
as it made landfall in Veracruz, Mexico.
About 30-50 people died in what became known as the Central America Hurricane of 1941. The town of Cape Gracias was leveled by the hurricanes 120 mph winds, most of the buildings including a weather station were ether severely damaged or destroyed. Along the coast, the storm brought a storm surge of 6 feet which caused severe damage to coastal communities. There was also minor damage to the islands off the coast of Belize.
1942
Storm Four formed roughly 100 miles northeast of Barbados in mid September and moved on a steady
west-northwest track, not strengthening much. Its winds never rose above 50 mph. Storm Four turned more to the west after it passed south of Jamaica
and struck northern Belize as a weakening tropical storm. It dissipated shortly thereafter.
Storm Ten was first seen over the northern Lesser Antilles on November 5 as a Tropical Storm
headed west-northwestward. It became a hurricane on the 6th over the southern Bahamas. A ridge of high pressure to its north forced the storm
west-southwestward, where it hit Cuba later that day. After weakening over the island, the now tropical storm re-strengthened to a hurricane on the
8th over the western Caribbean Sea. It attained a peak of 95 mph (153 km/h) winds before hitting Belize on the 9th. After crossing the Yucatán Peninsula,
the ridge of high pressure built to its northwest, forcing the storm back southeastward. It hit the western Yucatán Peninsula again on the 11th, and
dissipated shortly thereafter over land.
1943
The final storm of the season, Storm Ten was a weak system that formed in the western Caribbean
Sea on October 20 and curved northwest and then west, paralleling the coast of Honduras but remaining well offshore. Winds in this storm never rose above
45 mph. It began to curve back southwest on the 22nd, clipping the coast of southern Belize and making landfall on the Guatemalan coast six hours
later as a weak tropical storm.
1945
1945: On August 29, a Storm Six formed in the western Caribbean Sea and quickly became a Tropical Storm.
It moved northeastward, turned to the west, and made landfall in Belize on August 31 where it caused heavy rains and high tides. The system weakened to a
depression after moving inland on September 1, and the remnants dissipated over interior Central America shortly thereafter.
First detected as a Tropical Storm on October 2, Storm Ten moved westward across the western Caribbean. It reached a peak of 95 mph
winds, and hit southern Belize on October 4. It maintained its circulation across Central America, and hit Acapulco, Mexico on October 5 as a
weakening tropical depression. The hurricane caused severe damage in southern Belize and northwestern Guatemala, but no damage figures exist.
In 1953 the United States began using female names for Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
1954
Tropical Storm Gilda formed in the Central Caribbean Sea on September 24. It moved
westward, reaching a peak of 70 mph winds before hitting Belize on the 27th. Gilda caused heavy rains and flooding, leading to 29 deaths and
extensive flooding. No damage figures are available.
1955
Hurricane Janet: On the 27th of September, 1955, Janet reduced Corozal Town into rubble with sustained winds reached up to 175mph. These devastating winds also produced massive
flooding in the northern districts. There were 16 deaths, and 20,000 people left homeless. Though tragic, it also created
an opportunity for rebuilding. Henry. C. Fairweather and Philip Goldson spearheaded the creation if a new township,
complete with modern electricity, water, and sewage.
September 26, US Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft Snowcloud Five, operating out of NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, headed south-southwest over the Caribbean into Janet. At that time Janet was a Category 4 hurricane packing winds over 140 mph. The plane never returned, lost at sea while penetrating the eye of the storm.
Lost were:
Lt. Cmdr. Grover B. Windham Jr. - Plane Commander
LTjg Thomas R. Morgan - Navigator
LTjg George W. Herlong - Co-Pilot
Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class Julius J. Mann
LTjg Thomas L. Greaney - Navigator
Aviation Mechanic First Class J. P. Windham, Jr.
Airman Kenneth L. Klegg
Aviation Electronics Man First Class Joseph F. Combs
Aerologist William A. Buck
1960
The tropical depression that became Hurricane Abby developed east of the Lesser Antilles on July 10,
from a tropical wave. As it crossed the islands, it rapidly strengthened into a hurricane that night. Abby remained disorganized while crossing the Caribbean
Sea, and weakened back to a tropical storm on the 13th. It became better organized while approaching the coast of Belize, and reached a peak of 85 mph
before hitting the country on the 15th. Abby dissipated the next day over Mexico, after causing around $600,000 (1960 USD) in damage. The storm killed six
people in St. Lucia. Abby's remnants crossed over into the Pacific and later become Hurricane Celeste.
1961
Hurricane Anna reached her peak of 115 mph in the South West Caribbean on July 21, 1955. After landfall in
Honduras on the 23rd, Anne weakened it to a Category 2 storm. Anna caused heavy flooding in Honduras as it continued
westward, crossing into Belize on the 24th as a minimal hurricane, and dissipated shortly thereafter. No Belize damage reports
are available.
Hurricane Hattie landed just south of Belize City with a central pressure of 920mb and
sustained winds of 155mph winds with gusts to 200mph.
The eye passed between Belize City and Dangriga. The accompanying storm surge killed more than 400 people and left thousands homeless. Almost half of Belize City was demolished by the storm. It was this hurricane that caused George Price, and his People's United Party (PUP) to relocate the Capital City from Belize City to the safer location of Belmopan.
The barrier islands of Turneffe and Caulker Cays were totally submerged by the 13 foot storm surge. Hattie then brought her massive surge to the mainland, flattening all buildings near the shore. Stann Creek, a small fishing village on the coast near Belize City, was completely destroyed. Following the hurricane, the village was rebuilt and renamed Hattieville.
1969
Hurricane Francelia hit southern Belize with 90mph winds on Sept. 4th. Francelia nearly stalled off the
coast of Belize and brought prolonged rainfall with extensive flooding. The Belize River rose to over 36 feet above
normal. The storm affected thousands of people and caused extensive damage to crops. Over 100 people were killed in
Central America.
1971
Hurricane Edith was the strongest hurricane to form during the 1971 Atlantic hurricane season. It developed from a tropical wave
on September 5 and quickly strengthened into a hurricane in the Caribbean Sea. Edith rapidly intensified on September 9 and made landfall on Cape
Gracias a Dios as a Category 5 hurricane. It quickly lost
intensity over Central America and after briefly entering the Gulf of Honduras it made landfall near Belize City as a weak Tropical Storm then
crossed the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. After moving across the Gulf of Mexico a trough turned the storm to the northeast and Edith, after
having re-strengthened while accelerating towards the coast, made landfall on Louisiana with winds of 105 mph (170 km/h) on September 16.
Edith steadily weakened over land and dissipated over Georgia on September 18.
Edith killed two people when it passed near Aruba. Striking northeastern Central America as a Category 5 hurricane, the storm destroyed hundreds of homes and killed at least 35 people.
Tropical Storm Laura Began as a large, sprawling cloud mass originating over Panama and formed a tropical
depression on November 12 in the Caribbean Sea. Two days after its formation, it became a tropical storm northeast of the coast of Honduras.
Laura moved to the northwest for the following days due to an approaching cold front, but when a high pressure built to its north on the 16th, Laura executed a small loop just south of Cuba. Here Laura reached her peak intensity of 70 mph. As Laura moved to the southwest, she weakened drastically, but managed to regain her peak intensity prior to her landfall on Belize (then known as British Honduras) on the 21st. Laura dissipated the next day over Central America
1974
Hurricane Fifi made landfall as a Category 2 storm in Belize on the 19th, with 85 to 120mph winds reported in Belize City
and tides 10 to 12 ft. above normal. The storm continued through Guatemala and Mexico as a tropical system. After weakening to a depression,
Fifi emerged into the Pacific Ocean, Fifi in 1 day dumped up to 24 inches of rain on neighboring Honduras. The resulting
landslides and floods killed an estimated 8,000 people, making Fifi the 2nd deadliest Atlantic hurricane. In 1989 Hurricane
Mitch bumped Fifi to third place in this infamous category.
1978
Hurricane Greta made landfall on September 19th in the Stann Creek District of southern Belize.
Belize City tides were 6 feet above normal in some locations. Improved warnings by the governments of Honduras, Belize,
and their neighbors reduced the death toll to five, with one death in Honduras and four deaths in Belize.
In 1979 the United States began using both male and female names for Atlantic Basin storms
1980
Tropical Storm Hermine began as an African tropical wave. It organized into a tropical storm off the coast of Honduras on September 21.
After grazing Honduras, a disorganized made landfall just north of Belize City on the 22nd. After crossing the
Yucatán Peninsula, Hermine briefly emerged over the Bay of Campeche where it re-strengthened before recurving back into the Mexican coast. The storm
drifted inland and its surface dissipated on September 26. The remnant disturbance tracked around the southern and western periphery of Mexico
over the next few days.
Hermine caused freshwater flooding in Mexico. Storm total rainfall across Mexico reached as high as 31.15 inches (791 mm) at San Pedro Tapanatepec. No reports on Honduras and Belize were received by the NHC, but meteorologists stated that similar flooding likely occurred there as well.
1998
Hurricane Mitch spared Belize its 160MPH winds but the torrential rains cause extensive damage to crops
and roads. Mitch became the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since the Great Hurricane of 1780. Nearly eleven thousand people were
confirmed dead, and almost as many were reported missing and never found.
Deaths were mostly from flooding and mudslides in Central America, where the slow-moving storm dropped nearly 3 feet of rain. The flooding and mudslides damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes, with total damage estimated to be over $6 billion.
Prior to Mitch, the deadliest hurricane to affect Central America was Hurricane Fifi in 1974, which killed an estimated 8,000–10,000 people, mostly in Honduras and Nicaragua.
2000
Hurricane Keith lingered just offshore Ambergris Caye as a Category 4 storm with 135mph winds, then
slowly moved across Chetumal Bay which emptied out due to strong north winds. There was heavy damage on the cayes.
2001
Tropical Storm Chantal moved across the Caribbean Sea in August 2001. Chantal developed from a tropical wave on August 14 in the
tropical Atlantic Ocean. It tracked rapidly westward degenerating into a tropical wave it passed through the Windward Islands. Chantal reached a
peak intensity of 70 miles per hour but never obtained hurricane status. On August 21 Chantal moved ashore near the border of Mexico and Belize,
and the next day it dissipated.
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Chantal produced a wind gust of 71 miles per hour on Caye Caulker, and stronger winds were possible in a convective band to the north. Moderate rainfall was reported across Belize, peaking at 9.81 inches at Towerhill station. Along the coast, high waves damaged seawalls and piers. Further inland, the combination of winds and flooding caused agriculture and infrastructure damage throughout Belize, with total damage estimated at $4 million (2001 USD).
This Tropical Storm produced wind gust up to 62 miles per hour in Chetumal. Chantal dropped moderate to heavy rainfall al along its path, with one station near Chetumal reporting total of 20.03 inches. The remnants of Chantal continued to produced rainfall along the coast of Bay of Campeche. The passage of the storm resulted in downed trees and power lines, as well as damaged buildings. Heavy rainfall led to mudslides across Quintana Roo, leaving some areas isolated. Overall damage was minor and no deaths were reported.
Hurricane Iris hit southern Belize on Oct 8th with 145mph winds causing major damage
to nearly 95% of buildings in Placentia. From Sunday night, October 7th, 2001, when Iris just had winds of 90 mph until its landfall in Belize at
around 11 PM EDT on Monday night, October 8th, Hurricane Iris developed into such a monster that it registered as the strongest hurricane of the
2001 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
In Belize, a total of 3,718 homes were destroyed by Iris' strong winds and 14 ft storm surge. Nineteen schools were destroyed and 12 others were damaged; 21 governmental buildings were damaged, including two police stations that were destroyed. All power was lost to the affected regions, costing roughly $1.25 million to restore. Total damages to infrastructure was estimated at $8.15 million. The agricultural sector sustained severe damage and losses. Most livestock were killed during the storm, the shrimping industry lost 25% of their catch and large areas of farmland were inundated by flood waters. Losses in the agricultural industry were estimated at $74.5 million. 31 people were killed by the storm 20 of those were people on a dive boat, M/V Wave Dancer, when it capsized at the dock in Big Creek and eight others were listed as missing.
In Guatemala, high winds and heavy rains, generally amounting to 3 to 4 inches, triggered flash flooding, triggered flash flooding and landslides that killed at least 5 people and injured nearly 100 others. An estimated 27,500 people were affected by the storm throughout the country. In central Guatemala, 2,500 homes were damaged and along the Belize border, another 1,200 were destroyed.
2007
Hurricane Dean, with landfall as a Category 5 storm only 25 miles north of the Belize/Mexico border,
Dean caused extensive damage in northern Belize.
Take a look at our Hurricane Dean information.
Hurricane Felix, another Category 5 storm passed to the South with great loss of life and property in
Nicaragua and Honduras.
The USA's National Hurricane Center had Felix forecast to strike Belize near Belize City for several days before the storm decided to maintain it's westward track and leave Belize untouched.
2008
Tropical Storm Arthur began in the Eastern Pacific and the rapidly
developing system was named Tropical Storm Alma by the NHC at 1100 AM PDT Thursday, May 29th. Alma was the first storm of the 2008 Eastern Pacific
Hurricane Season. Alma dissipated May 30th but all that moisture and energy had entered the Gulf of Honduras in the
North West Caribbean. At 300PM CST the NHC named Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane
Season, one day before the season's official start. When Arthur was named, the center had already made landfall in
Northern Belize. For the complete story, visit our Tropical Storm Arthur page.
Around October 16th Tropical Depression 16 formed off the coast of Southern Belize. Record rainfall from this weak system caused unprecedented flooding throughout the country. For the whole story on DT-16 visit our Floods Of October page.
Earlier Storms That Affected Belize
Click Image For The Full Season Tracking Map
1864: While there were 5 storms this season, only one affected any landmass as a tropical system; a hurricane hitting Belize.
1892: On October 5, the 7th storm of the season formed east of Trinidad and Tobago. It made landfalls on Paraguaná, Guajira, and after tracking across the Caribbean Sea, another near Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaragua – Honduras border as a 100 mph Category 2. The storm made its fourth landfall in Belize and then final landfall in Tampico before dissipating inland on October 16.
1893: Second storm of the season formed in the western Caribbean Sea north of Panama on July 4. The storm intensified to an 95 mph (153 km/h) hurricane before hitting the northeast coast of Honduras. It mainly retained its strength until it hit the northeastern coast of Belize on July 6. Afterwards, it rapidly weakened over the Yucatán Peninsula and dissipated on July 7. The storm sank several ships and reportedly caused a large loss of life.
1906: Also known as the 1906 Florida Keys Hurricane, this hurricane formed in the southwestern Caribbean Sea west of Cartagena, Colombia on October 8. Moving westward, the tropical storm intensified to a hurricane on October 9 and reached its first peak of 115 mph (185 km/h) on October 10, turned to the west-northwest, and made landfall in Nicaragua as a Category 3 major hurricane. The hurricane weakened to a tropical storm on October 11 after moving inland, turned northwest, and the system re-emerged in the southern Gulf of Honduras on October 12. The system then began to re-intensify to a hurricane, and the storm made landfall shortly thereafter near Chetumal, MX and what is now Consejo, Belize as a 90 mph (150 km/h) Category 1 hurricane.
1918: Hurricane Two effected the northern coast of South America and the southern Lesser Antilles with tropical storm force winds. But hurricane force winds effected Honduras, and Belize.
1921: On June 17th Tropical Storm One made landfall near Belize City. It made a second landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Sargent, TX on the 22nd.
Worst Loss of Life from Central American and Caribbean Hurricanes
- Great Hurricane: October 1780 - Lesser Antilles 22,000+
- Hurricane Mitch: October–November 1998 - Central America 11,000+
- Hurricane Fifi: September 1974 - Honduras 6,000 -12,000
- Unnamed: September 1930 - Dominican Republic 2,000 - 8,000
- Hurricane Flora: September–October 1963 - Haiti and Cuba 7,200+
- Unnamed: September 1776 Martinique 6,000