The official Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. This represents a time of uncertainty for those living in areas where hurricanes can form as well as for those traveling to these parts of the world during this time of year.
Meteorologists can identify, track and predict landfall estimates. Predictions can even be made as to how active a hurricane season may potentially become based on a number of factors and statistics. However nothing is ever 100% guaranteed when you are talking about these massive storm systems. There is no accurate method for predicting when and where these storms will form. And once a hurricane is born, its path can only be estimated 3-5 days in advance.
Unfortunately, hurricanes have the potential to wreak havoc upon everything they encounter. In order to be classified as a hurricane, sustained winds must be at least 75 miles per hour with major storms having winds reaching hundreds of miles per hour. In addition, when making landfall there’s the risks associated with storm surge flooding, heavy rainfall, tornadoes and the like.
People traveling during this time of year, to parts of the world where hurricanes form, need to be cognizant of this risk. For example: what happens if you pay a large amount of money for a nonrefundable family vacation and a hurricane strikes. What happens if it strikes right before you arrive and your vacation spot is in ruins? What happens if it is predicted to strike while you’re there and you need to evacuate your vacation destination prematurely?
Fortunately, these are all risks that can be managed, at least from a financial standpoint, by obtaining travel insurance. According to Dan Drennen, Director of Sales and Marketing at Travel Insurance Center®, it’s always a good idea to cover your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, but even more so during the hurricane season. If you have valid trip cancellation/interruption coverage which was purchased prior to a storm being named, then you can rest easy knowing that if a hurricane does ruin your trip, it won’t ruin your wallet, and it will help ensure your safety during a potentially dangerous situation.
You can check to see if there are any hurricanes will be in your area of travel by going to the Nation Hurricane Center website.