There is no such thing as a hurricane belt, meteorologist Dennis Feltgen assured us. Hurricanes can and will hit most anywhere in the Caribbean. That's an important truth to keep in mind for those considering a tropical vacation.

The "Hurricane Belt" in the Caribbean is a broad region of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea that is most susceptible to tropical cyclones during the season from June 1st to November 30th. Geographically, it primarily encompasses the Northern and Eastern Caribbean, including the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico) and the Leeward Islands (such as the Virgin Islands, Antigua, and St. Kitts). These areas are positioned directly in the path of "Cape Verde" storms that form off the coast of Africa and gain strength as they move west across the warm Atlantic waters. Conversely, the "ABCs" (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) along with Trinidad and Tobago are located in the far Southern Caribbean, which is generally considered to be outside the main hurricane belt. While these southern islands can still experience heavy rain and tropical depressions, direct hits from major hurricanes are statistically much rarer there because the Earth's Coriolis effect and the proximity to the South American landmass tend to steer major storms further to the north.