I had a couple on my August relocation/retirement tour from Corpus Christi, Texas who had to return a couple of days earlier than expected because of Hurricane Gustav. They wanted to return home to board up their windows and secure their property. Too bad part of their vacation was spoiled by the bad weather up north. However, they promised to return because they really loved Costa Rica and what they saw on the tour. Mrs. Tate explained to me that they usually don’t travel during hurricane season, but due to their busy schedule they had to visit Costa Rica at this time of year. I assured them that when they move to Costa Rica they won’t be faced with hurricane problem.

Although the east coast of the country is on the Caribbean, fortunately we don’t have hurricanes here. All we get is the rain and not the wind. Granted a lot of rain does fall here but we avoid the destructive winds that affect the areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico and especially the state of Florida. The Caribbean side of Costa Rica country experiences most of the flooding. Luckily the area is not densely populated so any damage is minimal. Our tall mountain rages act as a natural barrier which protects the rest of the country from storms. Countries to the north like Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico have not been spared the ravages of past storms because their topography is different.

In 1998 Hurricane Mitch devastated parts of Nicaragua and Honduras leaving a path of death and destruction in its wake. A year ago Hurricane Felix also raised havoc and damaged the economy of the countries to the north of Costa Rica. Once again mother nature spared Costa Rica. Indeed, this country is blessed in many ways.

So, as you can see hurricanes are not a factor and should not deter you from retiring in Costa Rica.