January 23rd, 2023 at 06:06 am
Hurricane Travel Insurance as Type of Insurance
There are some interruptions to your trip that you can do something about, but others, like natural disasters like hurricanes, are completely out of your hands. Some travelers decide not to go anywhere at all during hurricane season, but this isn’t always possible. If you can’t take a vacation because of work or school, you might take a chance and book a trip in the middle of hurricane season.
Why You Might Need Hurricane Travel Insurance
Not all travel insurance covers hurricanes, so if you’re going somewhere where hurricanes might happen, it’s important to get a policy that covers natural disasters.
Why you might need travel insurance in case of a hurricane
Florida, North and South Carolina, and the Caribbean are vulnerable to hurricanes in summer. According to NOAA, the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with most storms in August and September.
Pacific hurricanes are uncommon. Only two hurricanes have impacted Hawaii since 1950. Hector in 2018 and Barbara in 2019 were close enough to create big waves and power disruptions that might ruin your holiday.
The Atlantic hurricane season spans from June 1 to November 30 and the Pacific from May 25 to November 30.
Travel insurance that covers hurricanes makes it easier to get your money back if a hurricane or tropical storm hits your location, even though the odds are low.
What kind of insurance covers hurricanes?
Hurricane travel insurance isn’t sold separately. It’s in your travel cancellation insurance’s weather and calamity section. Your trip interruption, travel delay, or other insurance coverage may cover it.
Hurricanes and other natural disasters must be covered. If a hurricane cancels your trip, your hurricane travel insurance won’t cover it.
Remember that travel insurance only covers hurricane-related trip disruptions. If you don’t fly because of a storm, you can’t file a claim.
Your hurricane coverage kicks in in certain situations like if your flight is canceled, your airport is closed, or your place to stay is no longer livable.
Cancel For Any Reason coverage is what you need if you want more flexible coverage, like the option to cancel your trip at the first sign of a hurricane. This lets you cancel your trip for less serious reasons, like worrying that the beaches won’t be as sunny and you won’t enjoy it as much, even if your hotel and flights are running as planned.
But CFAR coverage may only pay back 50–75% of your costs, while hurricane coverage in your trip cancellation policy will pay back 100% of your covered costs.
What does travel insurance for hurricanes cover?
Hurricane travel insurance covers a wide range of natural disaster events at home or abroad. Here are some cases where you might be covered:
A hurricane hits where you’re going before you get there.
Sometimes a hurricane’s effects are so bad that you have no choice but to cancel the whole trip. If hurricanes are listed as a covered reason in your trip cancellation policy, then:
- Your destination has a hurricane warning or an order to leave right away.
- Your home is deemed unsafe to live in, even if the danger is over.
- Your cruise or flight has been canceled or is running much later than expected.
- Your home airport or the airport where you were going is closed.
Hotel and airline natural disaster policies vary. They may refund part of your trip. If they don’t, travel insurance will cover all non-refundable costs. Flights, tours, and hotels you paid for but can’t get back.
Even if you’re not traveling far, this coverage can help. Hurricanes can hinder ferry, train, road, and bridge travel.
During your trip, a hurricane hits the place you’re going.
The hurricane may strike during your journey. The hurricane may have changed its direction, and now your destination is under an order to depart.
You can either cut your trip short and go home early or stay longer until the storm passes and it’s safe to go home.
If your trip interruption insurance covers hurricanes, you’ll be covered if any of the following are true:
- You have to leave your hotel or other place to stay.
- You’ll have to find a different way to get home.
- You experience travel delays or missed connections
- You’re unable to leave your destination safely
Your policy and whether or not you have coverage for travel delays and non-medical evacuations will determine the details of your coverage.
If you have insurance, you can get money back for the part of your trip you didn’t use or for the cost of extra flights or accommodations you had to pay for because of the hurricane.
A hurricane hits back home.
Travel insurance for hurricanes isn’t just for natural disasters that happen where you’re going. It may also pay for damages to your main home caused by a hurricane.
For example, if you’re traveling in Europe and hear that a hurricane hit your home in the U.S., you might decide to cut your trip short and fly home right away.
Your travel insurance won’t pay for damage to your home, but it might pay for the part of your trip you didn’t use and the cost of changing your flights.
Also, if a hurricane shuts down an airport where you were supposed to catch a connecting flight on your way to your final destination, your travel insurance policy may cover you.
When do you need to buy insurance?
When you buy hurricane travel insurance, there’s one more thing to remember: when to buy it. It’s important to get hurricane insurance for your trip a long time before you leave.
If a hurricane has already been named or you’ve been told to leave, it’s too late to add hurricane coverage to your travel insurance.
Most insurance companies won’t cover you for a “foreseeable event” or a known risk, so if you bought a policy to protect you from a hurricane that has already been named, your claim will be denied.
There may also be a waiting period during which you are not covered for trip cancellation, even if a natural disaster happens. So, if you want to be safe, buy insurance before a hurricane hits.
How much does insurance against hurricanes cost?
As with any insurance, your hurricane travel insurance policy’s cost depends on the trip’s cost, how many people are traveling, and how much coverage you need.
From 4% to 10% of your trip’s expense is typical. A comparison site is the greatest approach to locating the cheapest trip insurance. Thus, you may choose the least travel insurance coverage you need and evaluate all plans that provide it.
Make sure your travel cancellation and interruption coverage covers hurricanes by reading the tiny print.
Compare plans on NewsNowGh today to obtain the best pricing and most comprehensive coverage for your trip.
For more Travel Insurance stories CLICK HERE
Related Stories
- TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR RELATIVES VISITING THE UNITED STATES
- USA TRAVEL HEALTH INSURANCE THAT COVERS PREGNANCY
- WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MEDICAL EVACUATION INSURANCE PLANS
- WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT PREGNANCY AND TRAVEL INSURANCE COVERAGE
- A GUIDE TO THE BENEFITS OF TRAVEL INSURANCE BEFORE AND AFTER DEPARTURE