Flight cancellations and closures continue to pile up Thursday as Hurricane Helene barrels toward Florida.
25.09.2024 - 13:41 / thepointsguy.com
Florida has declared a state of emergency for 41 of the state's 67 counties ahead of Hurricane Helene potentially making landfall as it heads west through the Caribbean.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Tropical Storm Helene is the eighth storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and state officials are warning visitors and residents alike to prepare before the storm strengthens.
The latest update from The Weather Channels predicts that Tropical Storm Helene will strengthen "into a large, dangerous hurricane before it strikes Florida's Gulf Coast Thursday night."
If you are traveling to a destination that could potentially be affected, here's what you need to know.
Tropical storm alerts have been issued for parts of the Yucatan Peninsula, western Cuba and Grand Cayman, signaling potential for tropical storm and hurricane conditions within the next 36-48 hours.
Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued various storm surge alerts for the Gulf Coast in Florida.
At the time of publication, the storm was about 200 miles southeast of Cozumel, south of Cancun, Mexico.
If you're headed to one of the aforementioned destinations this week or next, you're likely wondering how this will affect your trip.
Unfortunately, you cannot assume that you will automatically be able to cancel your trip and be reimbursed for this potential storm, according to SquareMouth, which provides comparisons of travel insurance plans from major U.S. providers.
If your hotel is still open and running, you will still be responsible for paying for your reservation, assuming you did not book a refundable rate. The only situation when a hotel would cancel for you is if an impending storm makes your hotel uninhabitable or if it has no electricity or running water.
Even if your hotel reservation and airline bookings are nonrefundable, it's still worth calling to see if there's any recourse. For example, try contacting your airline to see if you can get an earlier or later flight to your intended destination.
Be sure to monitor your airline's website, as it might offer waivers to change flights for free at affected airports. At the time of writing, American Airlines and United Airlines have issued waivers for travel through Friday.
Once a tropical storm or hurricane has been named, it's too late to buy travel insurance, which is the case with Helene.
Thus, travel insurance experts recommend purchasing travel insurance coverage when booking a trip, particularly to destinations vulnerable to storms during hurricane season.
Otherwise, it'll likely be too late.
If you procured travel insurance beforehand, know that insurance plans vary in coverage, including whether they offer trip cancellation coverage, trip
Flight cancellations and closures continue to pile up Thursday as Hurricane Helene barrels toward Florida.
Much of the Southeast has been under a hurricane warning Wednesday as Florida and Georgia brace for Hurricane Helene. It's expected to make landfall as a Category 4 storm late Thursday near the Big Bend of Florida.
Hurricane Helene is forecasted to bring heavy rain, storm surge, and travel disruptions throughout the southeast, with winds potentially reaching 129 mph, The Weather Channel shared with Travel + Leisure. In anticipation of the oncoming storm, airlines have begun issuing travel waivers to accommodate passengers who may be impacted. This helps travelers rearrange their travel plans before a storm cancels a flight. For example, Delta Air Lines has issued a waiver for travel between September 25 and September 27 to or from Cancun, Tampa, Orlando, and a dozen more cities.
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Update: September 24, 2024, at 8:05 a.m. ET