Worst Hurricane Season Outlook In History Highlights Need For Travel Insurance
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 2, 2024 – The 2024 hurricane season is forecasted to be the most active in history, with a record-breaking 24 named storms and 11 hurricanes, 6 of which are predicted to be a Category 3 or higher.
Entering what could be the most destructive hurricane season on record, travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth, shares 3 things travelers need to know about travel insurance coverage.
Buy Coverage Before The Storm is Named
If your trip is impacted by a storm, travel insurance can cover your losses, as long as you bought your policy before the storm was named. Once a storm is publicized in the media as a named storm, it is too late to buy coverage for that storm.
If you have a trip planned between June 1 and November 30, consider buying travel insurance shortly after booking your trip to give yourself the best chance of coverage.
Make Delays More Comfortable with Travel Delay Coverage
Last year, an unprecedented 69% of all delayed flights were due to weather, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Travel Delay coverage can refund meals and hotels during a delay, and may even cover the additional costs paid to catch up to your destination.
Typically, you must be delayed for at least 3 to 12 hours in order for coverage to kick in. If you’re traveling to a hurricane-prone destination, look for a travel insurance policy with the shortest delay time required.
Look for a Policy That Can Cover You if a Storm Hits Home
Last year, high winds and flooding from hurricanes Idalia and Ophelia caused more than a billion dollars in damages to homes in the southeastern U.S. If a hurricane makes landfall in your hometown and severely damages your house, most Trip Cancellation policies can cover the cost to cancel your trip, or return home early, under the Hurricane & Weather benefit.
Squaremouth’s Current Events Information Center will be updated regularly throughout hurricane season with information about travel insurance coverage as storms hit, including answers to frequently asked questions and official position statements from travel insurance providers.