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The Windward Islands

Though people in the Windward Islands can appreciate the weather, they must also watch it carefully. Hurricanes—strong storms that develop over tropical waters—are a real problem for most of these islands. The hurri- cane season lasts from June through November, with the biggest storms usu- ally arriving from mid-August to mid-October. One of the most devastating hurricanes, Hurricane David, hit the islands in August 1979, sweeping through Dominica with wind gusts of more than 150 miles (241 km) per hour. Twenty-two people were killed, and 75 percent of the island’s population was left homeless. In recent years, other hurricanes have come close enough to do damage, but not on the scale of Hurricane David. Plants and Animals One of the great treasures of the Windward Islands is the lushness of their greenery. Blooming plants and trees adorn the landscape with a breathtaking smattering of color. Fruit trees produce delicious food, and rain forests, which are common to the islands, offer many other resources. In Dominica, the Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a 17,000-acre (6,883 hectare) rain forest reserve so amazing that it is often referred to as a living museum. It is the oldest rain forest in the Caribbean. Dominica features more than 1,000 species of flowering plants, including 74 varieties of orchids and 200 kinds of ferns. In fact, more than a quarter of the island is protected as either a national park or a forest reserve. The entire Windward Islands chain boasts incredible forests that feature the common mangrove , as well as a unique and dangerous tree called the