As we are going through the hurricane season, especially in North America and the Caribbean, many people who are travelling to these areas want to know if they are covered by their Travel Insurance policy. You should check with your travel supplier, you might find that you have an automatic refund of any deposit or payments made to your supplier for your trip.
If you arrive at your destination and you decide to leave when the storm begins, you could be in a difficult situation without Travel Insurance.
What does Travel Insurance cover for hurricanes?
If you are travelling to a hurricane area such as Florida, you should make sure you have some cover for:
- Delayed Departure
- Cancellation of your trip
- Natural Catastrophe Cover
What if a hurricane happens before a trip?
Travel Insurance policies that include cover for trip cancellation due to a hurricanes and natural disasters such as volcanic ash disruption will refund any pre paid non refundable trip expenses, if you have to cancel before your scheduled date of departure.
This cover is only available if the storm has not yet been named.
It is important to read the full Terms and Conditions of the Travel Insurance policy you are purchasing. You should also check that hurricanes are listed as a reason to cancel your trip. You should be aware if the hurricane has passed and travel restrictions have been lifted you will not be able to cancel unless the place you were planning to stay is uninhabitable.
What if a hurricane happens during my trip?
Our policies can cover Curtailment of your trip. This may be due to a mandatory evacuation or just plain common sense, but you should verify that this is a valid reason by reading the Terms and Conditions of the policy.
When should I buy Travel Insurance?
Travel Insurance cannot insure for something that has already happened. Therefore your Travel Insurance policy must be purchased before the hurricane is named. So it is important that you purchase a Travel Insurance policy after making the first trip payment.
What coverage should I be looking for?
In addition to Cancellation or Curtailment cover, you should also look at cover for:
- Missed Connection
- Travel Delay
Check carefully to insure that hurricanes, which are usually listed under natural disaster, are included as a covered reason for a claim.