St Maarten Was Hit Hard by Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Irma was a category 5+ storm. It tore into several islands in the Caribbean with 185 mile per hour winds, ripping roofs off buildings, flattening homes and filling streets with trees and debris.
Irma is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in history and it left St Maarten, which was once my home, devastated and destroyed.
In September 2017 Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by hurricane Maria two weeks later.
I still can’t believe what has happened to this beautiful Caribbean island and popular cruise destination.
BBC reports on the extent of the devastation in Sint Maarten
I felt so powerless, so far away. There wasn’t much I could do as I saw friends posting pictures of the destruction Irma caused.
Thankfully I quickly found out everyone I knew on the island and on neighboring islands was ok, although communication was difficult for a long time with everything being destroyed.
The harbor and airport, although heavily damaged, opened again quickly so that aid could come in. Many roads were destroyed and became impassable in numerous places.
Officials say rebuilding the infrastructure was crucial in the recovery process and getting aid to the residents who remained in flooded conditions for a long time.
Hurricanes in St. Maarten
Hurricane season in St Maarten officially runs from June 1st to November 30th — the same as the general Atlantic hurricane season. Since the island is in the hurricane belt, it’s more likely to be affected than some other parts of the Caribbean.
But, different months bring different weather.
Historically, St Maarten gets the most rain in November, even though September and October are the most active months of the Caribbean hurricane season.
In the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, there were 18 named storms, of which 11 became hurricanes, and 5 intensified into major hurricanes (category 3 or higher).
Thankfully, this hurricane season St Maarten wasn’t hit by any of them.
If you want to follow information about hurricanes in St Maarten and the rest of the Caribbean the National Hurricane Center’s website is a good resource.
And I like using the App Tropical Hurricane Tracker to track the path of (future) hurricanes in the Caribbean.
St Maarten’s Hurricane History
St. Maarten has had its share of hurricanes over the years, simply because it’s located in the hurricane belt.
While not every season brings a direct hit, some storms have left a serious mark on the island.
The most devastating in recent memory was Hurricane Irma, which I described above. It caused massive destruction and took years to recover from.
Older residents still talk about Hurricane Luis in 1995, which was another major one.
And just days after Irma, Hurricane Jose came through, making things even harder.
These storms are a reminder of how important it is to stay informed and prepared if you’re visiting or living on the island during hurricane season.
Visiting St. Maarten During Hurricane Season: What You Should Know
If you’re planning a trip to St. Maarten between June and November, it’s good to be aware that this is hurricane season.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go — many people still visit during this time and have an amazing vacation. But it’s smart to be prepared.
Keep an eye on weather updates, especially closer to your travel dates, and consider booking flexible flights and accommodations with good cancellation policies.
Travel insurance that covers weather-related disruptions is also a good idea.
Most days are sunny and beautiful, even during hurricane season, but having a backup plan and staying informed will help you enjoy your trip with peace of mind.
Helping St Maarten After a Hurricane
Eventually, after hurricane Irma, St Maarten rebuilt most of the island. Albeit with great difficulty.
Aid from all over the world helped tremendously. Several initiatives started to raise funds immediately after the hurricane hit and the damage became apparent.
Houses were rebuilt and businesses reopened. Tourists, being such an important source of income for St Maarten, eventually returned and helped the island move forward.
It took a long time though, and even when I visited St Maarten in 2021 I could still see damage from Hurricane Irma.
St Maarten doesn’t need financial aid anymore, but I’m a big fan of Globalgiving.org and want to recommend them if you ever want to offer financial support after natural disasters and other major crises.
The Center for International Disaster Information, a part of the United States Agency for International Development, says sending money is almost always the most efficient way to help.
Many people on the island did lose (a large part of) their businesses, their homes, and months of income. And with every hurricane season they risk the same thing happening again.
So to make sure St Maarten’s economy continues to recover the best thing you can do is simply visit the island! Enjoy its beautiful beaches, watersports, resorts, restaurants and friendly people!
Also Read: Where to Stay in St Maarten & Things to Do in St Maarten & St Martin
I am happy to see St. Maarten is doing better again and every hurricane season I keep my fingers crossed that they won’t get hit by another devastating hurricane like Irma!
Also Read:
- What is Ecotourism and How to Become a More Sustainable Traveler
- Interview With an Expat About Living in St Maarten
I don’t know of any phone numbers (it would probably have been too overwhelming for any of the aid initiatives to constantly have to answer the phone). I recommend visiting rebuildsxm.com if you want to know more about how things are going now in St Maarten and what you can do to help.
What’s a number I can call
I don’t know where you would best send books to for St Martin, but check out the Facebook group Hurricane Relief SXM: Donations And Help – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1544771445831138/
If you post your question there I am sure someone can give you the details you need. Thanks for wanting to help!! 🙂
I have boxes of books in frrench that I could ship to school or library in St Martin. Where do I address them ?
Hi Judyann,
Check out the Facebook page Clothes for St Maarten: https://www.facebook.com/clothesforsintmaarten/
You can message them to find out how you can help. Thanks!
Thanks so much Sally! It’s so painful to hear these stories and see pictures of what St Maarten now looks like… Thankfully many people are working together to rebuild and hopefully external aid will keep coming in.
We just heard from our friend and his wife – “We have no water, no electricity, no phone and the shops are virtually empty. We manage with a bit of internet when we can.
We try not to fall into discouragement, but the recovery is going to be difficult.
After 3 storms we are still in great distress and all possible help is welcome.”
Thank you for posting this – I am posting it on my FB page, as well as on my business FB page and anywhere else I can get the word out.
Hey can someone provide an address when I can mail clothing, shoes, school supplies to families in Sint Maarteen
Thanks so much Linda! I am happy that this way I can help St Maarten a tiny bit… It´s so sad to see pictures of the island right now and hear stories from my friends there 🙁
I want to get down to St Maarten to help with the cleanup and rebuilding efforts. The top picture with the roofs removed is where we stayed on vacation up until the Saturday am before the storm hit and I’ve been sick ever since over this. If anyone has any leads on a way to get there I’m ready to go.
I am so glad I finally found your post. I have been looking for a safe effective place to donate specific relief to Sint Maarten – even asking the management of my timeshare resort I had found the Dutch Red Cross but couldn’t get the American Red Cross to tell me if legit. Our family was scheduled to go Nov 11 and we’re very disappointed and I personally am devistated as I love the island Thank you for all your information. Hopefully more of those of us who love to visit this island will step up and help it come back
Thanks Mario! I appreciate that and I know how you feel 🙁
Thank you for this information, Sanne.
My family and I were in St. Martin just weeks ago, and cannot but feel awful about the rought times ahead for all the wonderful people we met, from the horse riding guide to the waiters in Ernest & Fidel.
At least now we will be able to do a very very little bit for the island.
Hi Elisha,
At the moment I only know of donations from the Netherlands being sent to St Maarten. But check out this (new) Facebook group about rebuilding St Maarten: https://www.facebook.com/groups/191989058007213/
Perhaps you can get more information through them.
Alternatively, try contacting RebuildSXM who will hopefully have more information as well.
Hi Emily, I am so sorry to hear that about your friend 🙁
I would recommend checking with RebuildSXM to see in what ways you can help
I’d love to donate as much as I can and help out the island. I travelled to the Dutch side in 2014 and met a great friend whom I care about very much. Him and his family have next to nothing left. I want to help out as much as possible.
My family on my husband’s side is from SXM on French side and we would like to help. Have gathered clothing from my children, from baby up to early teens, men’s and women’s and would like to send down. I live in Florida close to Orlando and was wondering if things were being shipped via barrels? Please keep me posted!
Hi Phil, thanks so much for wanting to help St Maarten! It still seems a struggle to provide enough shelter and food for the people that are on the island so I’m not sure if they would accept additional help at this point.
You can try contacting the guys from RebuildSXM.
They should have a good idea about what is going on and what help is needed.
I am an emergency physician and my wife is a mental health professional. We had a scheduled vacation,staying at our cousin’s home, Nov.4-11. They only know that their home has been badly damaged but because of the communication problems, further details are not known.
We would like to come down to help and provide our professional services. Is there a way to do this? Is their shelter and food available for us ?
Hi Edna, I am so sorry to hear that! 🙁
There is a very useful Facebook group called Hurricane Irma contact & aid SXM: https://www.facebook.com/groups/671030379769845/
I recommend joining that group both to find loved ones and to find out more about what’s going on on the island now.
Thank you for sharing donation info I have a sister and brother in law on the french side who I deeply worried about Sandy and Relique so if you have some kind of contact with any one there maybe they can get the word out as well as a uncle on thr dutch side my prays go outto everyone there
i am doing what i can to help my fellow St Maarteners in this time of need. I was born and raised there and have been through hurricane Louis and this hurricane was worse. So i am thankfull for people who are lending a helping hand. Keep up the good work …
Thanks Sanne. We have been coming to St. Maarten every year for 15 years. Absolutely heartbreaking to think of suffering that Irma caused. Will donate to DRC today and wait anxiously for Rebuildsxm.com.
Thank you for gathering this information. Hoping Irma doesn’t cause much more damage.
Thanks Alaine!
Thanks Maartje! I hope so too!!
Thanks for sharing this! I’m going to share it with my networks because it’s important the world come together to lend a hand
Wow that video, heartbreaking. We will definitely look into it. Hopefully the next one, José, will pass by Sint Maarten.
Thanks Jessica!!
It is terrible what happend. Thank you for all the information how to donate, I’ll do it right away.