Here’s what you should know when traveling during hurricane season

As another hurricane season devastates the United States, travel may be impacted. A few simple tips can make your travel itineraries better.

Did you know that hurricane season lasts six months? According to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 and the Pacific season runs from May 15 through November 30. While the peak season is August through October, hurricanes can affect popular travel times and locations.

In the past three years, several hurricanes have devastated popular vacation destinations. From Maria’s destruction of Puerto Rico to Florence’s current impact on the East Coast, hurricanes can impact all types of travel.

Even the remnants of hurricanes can cause travel delays and other impacts. Still, this weather issue doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan a vacation during a large portion of the year. We’ve rounded up a few useful tips to help keep you and your vacay plans safe during hurricane season.

If planning a vacation to a hurricane-prone location or simply planning a vacation during this time of year, travel insurance can help lessen the impact of a travel issue. One of the key facts to remember about travel insurance is to buy it early. Waiting to buy that insurance after a storm appears to impact your travel destination won’t do a traveler any good. If a traveler tries to purchase coverage for a foreseen storm, that policy probably won’t be available nor will a traveler be covered for any loss.

WILMINGTON, NC – SEPTEMBER 17: Road closed signs sit on Rt40 due to flooding, on September 17, 2018 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence hit Wilmington as a category 1 storm causing widespread power outages and flooding across North Carolina. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

While travel insurance is an additional cost to any vacation, it is less expensive than losing the whole vacation cost due to the weather emergency. If you are traveling to a hurricane prone location during peak season, it best to find comprehensive travel insurance policies. Most of these policies will prevent your loss from travel cancelations, delays or other weather related issues.

Remember a hurricane impacted vacation isn’t necessarily limited to the storm itself. After a hurricane, some vacation destinations could take months to reopen. In Puerto Rico, some locations are just now opening after almost a year after Hurricane Maria. Protecting your vacation with travel insurance could be a very smart investment.

Even if you didn’t purchase travel insurance, sometimes airlines and hotels may waive change or cancellation fees once it appears that a storm could impact your travel destination. While these scenarios might not have you recoup all of your vacation money that was spent, it does offer a better scenario than losing the whole trip’s cost.

Of course, even travel insurance can’t predict the path of any storm. Sometimes weather issues arise once you arrive at that glorious vacation destination. Even though luggage constraints are many, a few simple travel items can be helpful during this time of year. Traveling with a small first aid kit is always a smart idea. Also, a flash light can be helpful. Sometimes you can’t always rely on your phone to be your flashlight.

Truthfully, carrying around a first aid kit can be helpful during any time of the year, regardless of destination or season. A simple first aid kit can help with blisters, bug bites or even the occasional ache, pain or indigestion. Personally, I have a created my own kit that fits in a sandwich size disposable bag that I always bring while traveling.

Smart vacation planning, during hurricane season, or any time, is always a good choice. A few simple tips can make the whole experience a more enjoyable one. Do you have a smart travel tip to share?