Recent signals
Foreign-ministry advisories
Practical guidance
What the disaster sub-score covers
Costa Rica’s natural-disaster sub-score is 61/100 (moderate band). It combines the country’s long-term hazard exposure (fault lines, tropical cyclone tracks, volcanic chains, flood basins) with the live event feed from USGS, NOAA, NHC, JMA, GVP, and regional agencies. A score drop usually means a specific recent event; baseline hazard exposure barely moves year over year. The events feed above shows what is currently active.
Seasonality matters more than the headline number
Most natural-hazard risk is seasonal. Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November (peak August to October). Pacific typhoon season is broadly May to October. Indian Ocean monsoon flooding peaks June to September in South Asia. North Atlantic storm surge weights winter months. Volcanic and seismic risk is non-seasonal but clusters geographically; a country’s baseline score factors this in, but your specific itinerary’s exposure depends on which region you visit. The country safety guide’s natural- hazards chapter breaks it down by region.
What to actually do
Three concrete steps that move you out of the “tourist who got caught in it” bucket: enrol in your government’s traveller-notification programme (STEP for US citizens, LOCATE for UK, Smartraveller subscription for AU) so embassies can reach you in a major incident; download offline maps of your destination before you arrive (Maps.me or Google Maps offline) because mobile networks fail first in most disasters; and read the relevant Field Manual response guide for the specific hazard your destination carries. How to survive an earthquake while travelling and the wildfire, flood, and hurricane equivalents are linked from the relevant country safety guides.
Related for Costa Rica
Long-form context
Costa Rica is one of the safer destinations in Latin America and the most developed eco-tourism economy in Central America. The country abolished its army in 1948, runs a strong public-health system, and consistently ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world. The structural risks are concentrated and addressable: the San José petty-crime and smash-and-grab pattern, beach-area car break-ins and bag theft at Manuel Antonio, Tamarindo, Jaco, and Dominical, Pacific rip currents that kill several foreign tourists each year, the OVSICORI volcano monitoring picture (Poás, Arenal, Irazú, Turrialba, Rincón de la Vieja all active), the Caribbean coast (Limón) higher crime baseline, and the standard tropical-disease considerations (dengue endemic). This guide unpacks the entry mechanics, the regional risk map, the volcano and beach safety logic, and the practical contacts for a Costa Rican itinerary.
Frequently asked about Costa Rica
What natural hazards affect Costa Rica?
Costa Rica's natural-disaster sub-score is 61/100. It combines long-term hazard exposure (fault lines, tropical cyclone tracks, volcanic chains, flood basins) with the live event feed from USGS, NOAA, NHC, JMA, GVP, and regional agencies. Currently active events are listed in the recent-signals feed above.
When is hurricane / typhoon season in Costa Rica?
Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November (peak August to October). Pacific typhoon season is broadly May to October. Indian Ocean cyclone season splits between November to April (southern hemisphere) and April to December (Bay of Bengal). Costa Rica's specific exposure window is documented in the country safety guide.
What should I do if a natural disaster happens while I am in Costa Rica?
Three concrete steps before you go: enrol in your government's traveller-notification programme (STEP for US, LOCATE for UK, Smartraveller subscription for AU), download offline maps because mobile networks fail first in major incidents, and read the relevant Field Manual response guide (earthquake, hurricane, wildfire, flood) for the specific hazard your destination carries.