Hurricane Season Travel

written by Sarah Schlichter

Despite the devastation wreaked by hurricanes in recent years, thousands of intrepid travelers will be making their way to the Atlantic hurricane zone (the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast) this summer and fall.

Lured by the low airfares and hotel rates available at this time of year, many travelers are willing to risk encountering a storm during their vacation -- especially if their resort or vacation provider is offering a hurricane guarantee.

If you absolutely have your heart set on visiting a particular destination, it's probably best to schedule your visit for a different time of year so that rain (or worse) doesn't disrupt your dream trip.

(The Caribbean Hurricane Network ranks Caribbean islands based on how often they're hit by major hurricanes, if you want to weigh the odds. The Bahamas top the list.) But if you're flexible, willing to deal with a little bad weather, and ready to accept some risk in exchange for rock-bottom rates, you could wind up having a great trip.

To help you plan, we've gathered some need-to-know info on which months have the highest risks of hurricanes, which Caribbean islands are least likely to be hit by storms, when travel insurance will protect you (and when it won't) -- as well as answers to your other hurricane-related questions.

Note: The National Hurricane Center also tracks the Eastern Pacific hurricane season, which can affect visitors to the western coast of Mexico and occasionally Hawaii. However, this story deals specifically with storms in the Atlantic hurricane zone, which are more likely to hit land and disrupt travelers' vacations.

When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season generally runs from June 1 - November 30 each year (though it's not unheard-of for storms to form outside this time period). You'll usually see the most storms between mid-August and the end of October.

Do I need travel insurance?
We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance if you're headed to the hurricane zone during storm season. You'll want to make sure your policy covers you if your flights are delayed, if your trip is interrupted by inclement weather, or if you need to cancel your trip because a hurricane is threatening your destination. We can't stress this enough: read your policy thoroughly so you know what's covered -- and, more importantly, what isn't. For example, you'll normally be reimbursed if your airport is closed and your flight is canceled due to a hurricane. But you won't be reimbursed if you get to your destination and it rains the entire week you're there.