OBX, August, and hurricanes

[Laurie]

How many of you have booked OBX vacations during the second half of August?

And how many of you have had to cancel or shorten them because of actual or possible tropical storms?

And if not big storms, how 'bout just general rainy weather?

So far we've had one entirely gloomy/rainy September week at OBX, and one Labor Day week that was all sunshine. But lately it seems like peak hurricane season is getting earlier.

I'm just wondering whether to take an exchange to OBX for a future August, or whether to wait and try for a HH resort I'd accept (more difficult, since I only want oceanfront!), since it seems fewer hurricanes strike HH. I guess the ratio of rainy weeks there would be similar though.

 

[Jeni]

We've booked as late as the last week of August and had good weather, but we were there when Katrina hit the Gulf, so it is a reminder that yes, we can and do get hurricanes in August. In recent years, they have hit in September. Keep in mind that a weather system impacting the HHI area (Nor'easter, tropical storm, hurricane) will also likely impact OBX, since they are on the same coast, not terribly far from each other, and the weather systems tend to move up the coast.

For the best weather, and less chance of a hurricane/tropical storm impact, my recommendation is to visit OBX prior to mid/late-August. We now schedule our time so that we are departing by the 3rd week of August.

 

[Carolinian]

The first timeshare week I owned was a late August week on the OBX. The weather is generally good then, but huricanes are unpredictable. The worst hurricane the OBX has had in recent years happened three years after I sold that week, during that week. Now I own an early July week.

 

[Judy]

We own week 31 at Hatteras High on the Outer Banks. We always had nice weather until 2004 when we were hit by hurricane Alex. Week 31 was the first week of August that year.

Since your vacation is at the end of August, you could get a hurricane either in Hilton Head or the Outer Banks ....or not. You could buy vacation insurance that includes cancellation for hurricanes. But you might already be there before you know the hurricane is coming - like we were! Don't give up a beach vacation just because of the outside chance of a hurricane