Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan, the three big storms affecting the Atlantic Basin area this year, have spared the DR. As the big storms make their way west, after originating usually along the west coast of Africa, the Caribbean is on the way and hurricanes are part of fall in this region. This year, the storms have been especially strong, with major damages reported in the islands of Bahamas (Frances), Grenada, Jamaica and Cayman Islands (Ivan), in addition to Florida. The DR has been on the track of the storms, but as these make their way to the west, changes in course have led the storms to divert from the island so far.