Seasonal· Grand Bahama· Bahamas — North
Hurricane season (Grand Bahama)
26° 31.4′ N · 78° 46.3′ W · approximate
Grand Bahama sits squarely in the Atlantic hurricane belt. Hurricane Dorian stalled over the island as a Category 5 storm on 2-3 September 2019, flooding about 60 percent of it, putting the airport under 6 ft of water and swamping Rand Memorial Hospital; Frances and Jeanne (2004) and Matthew (2016) also hit hard.
Practical
Position is Freeport Harbour, as a reference point for the island. The Atlantic season runs 1 June to 30 November, peaking around 10 September with most activity mid-August to mid-October (NOAA NHC). Freeport and Lucaya are low-lying; the island's damage after Dorian was worst in the east. Insurers often require boats to be north of a named latitude or hauled in season; check your policy. If you must be here in season, watch NHC daily, make a plan for a haul-out (Bradford Marine) or a protected canal berth well before a storm, and remember marinas lost power and water for months after Matthew in 2016.
Best for
Planning around the June to November storm season
Season
1 June to 30 November; peak mid-August to mid-October
Nearby
- Freeport Harbour (commercial port)Right here
- Pier One Restaurant (Freeport Harbour)0.4 NM away
- Bradford Marine Bahamas (boatyard)0.8 NM away
- Grand Bahama Shipyard0.9 NM away
- Eight Mile Rock2.1 NM away
- Freeport propane refills3.4 NM away
- Solomon's Downtown and Cost Right (Freeport provisioning)4.1 NM away
- Freeport chandlery and marine parts4.2 NM away