Why Purchase Travel Insurance During Hurricane Season

With international travel being restricted due to COVID-19 this fall, many U.S. travelers are looking to take a vacation in the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and the Caribbean. Travelers to these destinations need to be aware that this period is hurricane season in the Atlantic. This year’s hurricane season is shaping up to be the most volatile on record. As reported by Suzanne Rowan Kelleher in her recent Forbes article, only halfway through hurricane season and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has up its prediction to 19 to 25 named storms, including seven to 11 hurricanes. NOAA’s original official forecast for 2020 was for 13-19 named tropical storms and three to six hurricanes.

What does this mean for travelers? Travelers have to take proactive measures to protect their travel plans. The best way to do this is to purchase travel insurance. The question now is, what kind of travel insurance should they buy? The best types of insurance to purchase during hurricane season is Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, and Travel Delay Coverage.

Trip Cancellation provides reimbursement for unused, non-refundable, pre-paid trip costs if you are prevented from taking your trip due to certain unforeseen events that prevent you from traveling, such as a hurricane. For example, you are scheduled to travel to the Caribbean and a hurricane occurs. If you purchased Trip Cancellation insurance, you would receive a refund since you were not able to go on your vacation. Below are some factors that can cause your trip cancellation policy to be activated:

• Weather at departure site that causes a carrier delay of 12 hours or more
• Natural disaster at the destination that renders your accommodations uninhabitable
• Mandatory evacuation at Your trip destination due to hurricane or other natural disasters
• Home is made uninhabitable by a hurricane or natural disaster
• Interruption of water, electric, sewage, or gas service(s) at Your destination, for more than six hours due to inclement weather or natural disaster
• Accommodations at destination made inaccessible by original mode of transportation due to hurricane or other natural disasters
• A closed roadway to or from your trip destination
• Arrival at trip delayed due to a hazard (including weather) that causes you to lose 50% or more of trip duration
• Cancellation of sporting competition due to weather which you traveled more than 100 miles from home to attend

Once you depart for your vacation, you are eligible for trip interruption coverage. Trip interruption provides reimbursement for unused land and water activities along with additional transportation costs used to return home or rejoin your trip if a hurricane were to occur. Travel delay will provide reimbursement for hotel accommodation, meals, telephone calls, and local transportation while delayed.

Travelers should be aware that Trip Interruption and Travel Delay coverage complement each other.

This is because if you’re delayed and stuck somewhere, chances are you are also missing a portion of your trip. Trip Interruption can provide benefits for unused travel arrangements and Travel Delay can provide coverage for additional out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the delay.

With the proper coverage, travelers now have peace of mind and protection when they are embarking on travel this fall in the Atlantic region. To obtain a Trip Cancellation quote and purchase this product, please visit the Trawick International Trip Cancellation product page.