September 9th, 2004 Here comes the sun! Aruba, the island where happiness lives, is again enjoying sunshine and, luckily, no noteworthy damage to report. Hurricane Ivan made a speedy departure, moving past Aruba quickly, so that the plentiful sunshine that the island is known for could return after a brief hiatus yesterday. Hurricane Ivan never touched Aruba and the storm passed a distant 110 miles north of the island, additionally, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm warning by Wednesday evening.
Thankfully, there was never any interruption of electricity or water on island, so visitors and guests alike were comfortable throughout the night. There has been limited flooding, which is expected to dissipate quickly thanks to the sun’s strong rays shining down. Minor beach erosion will naturally reverse itself as the ocean returns to normal tide levels.
It is business as usual on Aruba, as the majority of the private and public sector are open and all schools will reopen on Friday, September 10. This morning Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport opened at 8:00 a.m. and all arriving and departing flights are operating on schedule.
Many refer to Aruba, and the ABC Islands as a whole, as being “outside the hurricane belt,” as the last tropical disturbance to be classified as hurricane passed south of Curacao in 1877. According to the Meteorological Department of Aruba, the region located between Aruba and Isla de Margarita, Venezuela is referred to as the “hurricane cemetery” because cooling trade winds make the sea between the ABC Islands relatively cooler, debilitating potential hurricane growth.
The Aruba Tourism Authority and its travel and tourism partners are working diligently to avoid any inconvenience to visitors. The safety and well being of the Aruban people and the island’s travelers is Aruba’s top priority. All of Aruba’s tourism partners extend their thoughts to the neighboring Caribbean nations that were not as fortunate and were affected by recent weather conditions.
