3 Ways to Prepare for Travel During the Hurricane Season

With memories still relatively fresh from the catastrophic destruction meted out by Hurricanes Maria, Irma, Harvey and Nate, some people may understandably wonder how anyone would contemplate traveling at this time of the year.

Yet, there may be multiple reasons why someone may be compelled to travel to a different city, state or country during this time.

Whether it’s a business meeting that you have to attend or it’s taking advantage of a travel deal that isn’t available at any other time of the year, it is possible for you to travel during the hurricane season. It’s not an ordinary time though so things you would take for granted otherwise will take on enormous significance during the storm season.

While one option is to go somewhere where the probability of a hurricane is low (think Hawaii especially if you can attend the best luau on the island of Kauai), you can apply the following tips to make your travel to hurricane-prone areas feasible.

Factor Potential Delays

Take a step back and think about all the different ways a hurricane can affect your plans irrespective of where you are going.

You may be heading to an area that seems far removed from where the hurricane is expected to make landfall but that shouldn’t be reason to disregard the storm.

While weather technology has advanced greatly over the years, there’s no guarantee that the storm will follow the exact path weather experts expect it to. And sometimes it may be too late for you to get away from its impact when its path is eventually known. Ergo, brace for the unexpected.

Even if you aren’t caught up by the storm itself, it could affect your plans despite your being in a different part of the country. Think delayed flights.

For these two reasons, always allow a couple of days at the end of your trip. Do not schedule to fly home just a day before you resume work.

Carry Extras and Keep Essentials Close

Planning for a couple of days’ delays is good but you have to take into account its impact on your consumption. You will need money and supplies to make it through the additional time. That means carrying more clothes than you need and making sure you have enough medication for the additional days.

Have some money in cash that can last you about a week since electricity and telecommunication lines may be cut off thus rendering cash machines inoperable.

If you are going to be changing planes somewhere along your flight, place all essentials (drugs, cash, phone, phone charger) in the carry-on bag. A bad weather day could see you and your checked luggage separated.

When traveling with family or friends, make sure each person has one or two changes of clothes in another person’s checked bag just in case their own bag gets lost in the storm-induced chaos.

Get the Right Insurance

There are many different types of travel insurance policies. The one that’s most appropriate will largely depend on the level of risk involved and how much you are ready to spend to mitigate this risk.

In the event of a qualifying incident, some insurers will pay the traveler in cash while others will do so via future travel credits. Some will pay if a storm has been named or if a service provider canceled the trip but won’t provide any compensation if the client refuses to travel because the storm is headed toward their destination.

It’s prudent that you seek the advice of your travel agent before you choose which policy is best. Nevertheless, you make the final decision so read the fine print and take time to research what other travelers are saying. Call the provider directly if you want a more detailed explanation.

A tropical storm can throw your travel plans into disarray. But by following the above tips, you can have a fruitful journey even in the wake of storm devastation.