Traveling During Hurricane Season

[SarahS]

Hurricane season 2006 is underway, and we want to hear your thoughts! Feel free to respond to any or all of the following questions:

After last year's destructive hurricane season, are you worried about traveling to the Atlantic hurricane zone (the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast) this year? Are the low prices worth it?

If you are planning a trip to "the zone," have you taken any precautions in case a storm disrupts your vacation (trip insurance, etc.)?

And finally, have you ever been through a hurricane before, either at home, at a resort/hotel or on a cruise ship? What was it like?

We'd love to hear your stories -- your responses may be used in a future IndependentTraveler.com article. Thanks!

[tinkerbell]

I haven't planned on taking any vacations during Hurricane Season because I just started a new job -- but if I could, I think I would definitely be buying some insurance along with the rest of my vacation package. I hear this season is going to be pretty bad and I'd much rather take a vacation in the winter to a nice warm place and not have to worry about a hurricane ruining my vacation (or...killing me).

[WackyHeathen]

I really don't think it's advisable to travel to the Atlantic Hurricane Zone during Hurricane Season. There seem to be plenty of places that can offer you sun and beach that are not constantly threatened by high-pressure systems manifesting horribly and unpredictably into incredible forces of nature with no regard to human life or property.

How about the Pacific Coast of Mexico instead? Incredible beaches, sun shine and it's very cheap.

[soliteyah]

I have to agree with WackyHeathen on this one. I'm a cautious type, and if I'm going to pay a bunch of money, take time off work and get myself all geared up for a vacation, I want to take that vacation -- not get stressed about the weather, sit around waiting out a flight delay or lie on the beach in the pouring rain. Even if I purchased travel insurance, the hassle of filing a claim and rescheduling my trip if necessary doesn't sound like fun to me.

However, in addition to being a cautious type I am also a pessimistic type -- most folks who travel during hurricane season are totally fine, so I could be spreading a bit of unnecessary gloom and doom here. I hope everyone who travels this hurricane season stays safe!

[GenevieveS]

I am always on the lookout for a great deal and they are everywhere during hurricane season. I would go and risk it -- after all, the chances of being hit with a hurricane are pretty slim. I've never encountered a serious hurricane though, maybe if I had I would be more cautious.

[judyzoo]

You all seem concerned about COMING INTO “the zone.” What about the other side of the coin -- those of us who live here? Some of us -- like myself -- HESITATE TO LEAVE here during hurricane season, because we want to be here to protect our property if a hurricane comes through.

BTW, besides being involved in too much hurricane activity last season, we were here in the middle of Hurricane Andrew back in 1992; and it was ugly.

[GenevieveS]

That is interesting -- I didn’t think of it from that perspective judyzoo. My in laws have a house in OBX that managed to fare pretty well during a hurricane there a few years ago -- but I remember how worried they were. I imagine it would be hard to leave your property, but what can you accomplish by staying?

[tinkerbell]

I agree. If a storm can rip apart homes and buildings, there really isn't anything you can do to protect your home by staying. But, I would imagine that I'd have a hard time leaving my property as well. I wouldn't want to leave my home and the things I love behind, but I would keep in mind that my life is more important than it all.

[judyzoo]

Just a few examples of what you can do by staying: If a hurricane is approaching, put up the hurricane shelters, bring everything loose in from the yard and patio, etc; do all the hurricane preparations -- which you can't do if you're not at home when news comes that a hurricane is approaching. Also, take care of our pets and make sure they're safe. Another minor thing: run a generator to keep food in the refrigerator and freezing from spoiling and messing up the appliances. Also, while a hurricane is blowing outside, sometimes there are things that can be done to prevent disaster -- for example, during Hurricane Andrew we had a shutter that began to come loose, which would have allowed the wind to blow the window open, the roof to blow off, etc, etc,; by being there we were able to prop enough things against the window to keep it intact and closed, so that all that happened was that a small piece of the ceiling fell down from the pressure. Had we not been there we likely would have lost the entire house, as many people around here did. Also, once the hurricane has gone through, you may have things that have gotten wet that need to be dried out as soon as possible. Without going into further detail, I can say that the bottom line is that there are lots of things you can do at home to minimize the damage that you can't do from afar.

[Host Bonjour]

I once spent 10 heavenly days on St Barth's in July and had just missed a hurricane they'd caught just a whiff of - not quite a meteorological term - a storm that hit harder more northwest of the island so damage was almost nil. I didn't give it a thought, going to the island during that time of year. Whenever a travel opportunity presents itself and interests me, I go.

Quite honestly, there are never any guarantess (though Bermuda sometimes offers enticing ones if the temperature isn't high enough!) you can't let the "what ifs" stop you from taking a trip, especially if your vacation time is limited say, to a certain time of the year or whatever. Anything can happen anywhere, anytime. There is no crystal ball (the Farmer's Almanac used to work well, I don't know how good their predictions are anymore) and if you let yourself get too caught up worrying, well then there's no sense going. And I can understand folks having valid concerns and I don't belittle anyone's concerns at all - I know it's for real.

That said, IF you hold back and nothing happens, you may have missed out on something really great. If something relatively "minor" happens, you can sort of turn it into an adventure and be surprised at how many bonds and new friendships are formed as you muttle through it together and then get back to the business of having fun when the fuss has passed over.

A MAJOR hurricane is of course, no joke but there are usually warnings and you can probably get to someplace else before the storm hits; storm tracking has become better than ever so you could either get to another airline or an area of mainland that doesn't seem to be in the hurricane's path. OR, you can stick around and try to help, turn your trip into sort of an "adventure" vacation but be sure to follow the instructions of the local authorities to ensure your own safety and perhaps help others board up, shore up etc. It may not be the vacation you had planned but your dedication may earn you a free return for another trip! There's always a silver lining and helping others usually leads to one.

If it were me, I'd take the chance and go. NOW if I could - I just got some really good medical news and would give anything to be on the beach in St. Barth's RIGHT NOW, during hurricane season, soaking up every bit of that wonderful island. I don't have a dog sitter or else I'd probably already be trying to get there

[AnIdleTuesday]

Hello all!

I'm new to the board and I'm working on a public service magazine about historic hurricanes. My current project is a 4-page spread about Hurricane Andrew. A major part I'm missing deals with the recovery efforts in Everglades National Park. I know how much was damaged and that things are pretty much back to normal now, but I need to know about lasting effects, and how long different things took to recover. I've tried calling NPS at (305) 242-7700, but there isn't even an operator to speak with, and I don't even know who to talk to... any names of park people, info, direction to start in would be super.

As for judyzoo... I'd love to hear some of your hurricane stories, as we're also working on a "Hurricane Heroes" and "Hurricane Memories" articles. Please let me know if you'd like to share some stories!

Thanks everyone!

Michelle Eigenberger
Reiman Publications
(414) 423-3772
www.reimanpub.com
meigenberger@reimanpub.com

[Abigail12]

While the late spring and summer offer tremendous
travel bargains, these months also correspond with the
start of the hurricane season. Recently there has been
an increase of travel in the "off peak" months of July
and August, when many families have the opportunity to
get away on vacation. This year in particular, many
potential vacationers have been unsure whether to plan
a vacation in the areas mentioned above.