Florida has declared a state of emergency for 41 of the state’s 67 counties ahead of possible landfall as Hurricane Helen moves west from the Caribbean.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Tropical Storm Helen is the eighth hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and state officials are warning visitors and residents alike to prepare before the storm strengthens.
This Latest update The Weather Channels forecast that Tropical Storm Helen will “develop into a large, dangerous hurricane before hitting Florida’s Gulf Coast Thursday night.”
If you’re traveling to a destination that could potentially be affected, here’s what you need to know.
Here’s where the storm is headed
Tropical storm warnings have been issued for parts of the Yucatan Peninsula, western Cuba and Grand Cayman, indicating the potential for tropical storm and hurricane conditions over the next 36-48 hours.
In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Several hurricane warnings have been issued for the Gulf Coast in Florida.
At the time of publication, the storm was about 200 miles southeast of Cozumel, south of Cancun, Mexico.
How to rearrange your trip
If you’re heading to one of the above destinations this week or next week, you’re probably wondering how this will affect your trip.
Unfortunately, you cannot assume that you will automatically cancel your trip and be compensated for this potential storm, Squaremouthwhich provides a comparison of travel insurance plans from major US providers.
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Even if your hotel is still open and operating, you will be responsible for paying for your reservation, assuming you have not booked a refundable rate. The only situation in which a hotel will cancel for you is if a storm makes your hotel uninhabitable or if it has no electricity or running water.
Even if your hotel reservations and airline bookings are non-refundable, it’s worth calling to see if there is a solution. For example, try contacting your airline to see if you can get an earlier or later flight to your desired destination.
Be sure to check your airline’s website, as it may offer waivers to change flights for free at affected airports. At the time of writing, American Airlines And United Airlines A waiver has been issued for travel till Friday.
Can you still buy travel insurance?
Once a tropical storm or hurricane is named, it’s too late to buy one. Travel insurance, which is Helen’s case.
Thus, travel insurance experts recommend purchasing travel insurance coverage when booking a trip, especially for storm-prone destinations during hurricane season.
Otherwise, it might be too late.
If you’ve purchased travel insurance in advance, know that insurance plans vary in coverage, including whether they offer trip cancellation coverage, trip interruption coverage, trip delay coverage, and baggage loss and delay coverage.
This is also the case for credit cards with trip delay insurance, which may or may not apply to weather events such as hurricanes.
The bottom line
If you act fast, you can save some of your travel in Florida this week as Helen creates potential disruption.
Although you are not guaranteed anything other than the terms and conditions specified in your travel reservation and the credit card you used to book your trip, it may be helpful to contact your airline, hotel or credit card company directly for assistance. .
For more helpful tips on navigating travel during hurricane season, read: