Hurricane safety for visitors and tourists¶

This page helps visitors and tourists stay safe when a hurricane threatens the place they are staying. It is for anyone on vacation, visiting family, traveling for work, or on a cruise.

If you only do three things¶

1. Check the forecast before you leave home and every day of your trip.
2. Find out whether your hotel or rental is in an evacuation zone.
3. If officials tell visitors to leave, leave right away, while flights and roads are still open.

Check the forecast before and during your trip¶

Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June 1 to November 30. If your trip falls in those months, look at the National Hurricane Center outlook at nhc.noaa.gov in the week before you go. Keep checking once a day while you are away.

Forecasts change, sometimes quickly. Learn the difference between a watch and a warning so you know when to act. Each country's national weather service issues its own watches and warnings, and the names may differ from the ones you know at home. See Hurricane watches vs warnings.

Travel insurance and booking policies¶

Read your own policies before you go. Travel insurance, airlines, hotels, rentals, and cruise lines all handle hurricanes differently.

• Read what your travel insurance covers for weather and when you must buy it
• Check your airline's rules for changing a flight when a storm threatens
• Ask the hotel or rental host how they handle cancellations for hurricanes

Do not wait for a refund policy to decide when you leave. Your safety comes first, and the paperwork can be sorted out later.

Get local alerts at your destination¶

In many countries, emergency alerts reach phones in the affected area automatically, including visitors' phones, without any sign up (Wireless Emergency Alerts in the United States). Check your phone settings to make sure emergency alerts are turned on. Cell towers can fail in a storm, so do not rely on this alone.

Local governments often run their own alert systems, and these usually need a sign up. Search for the place name and "emergency alerts" on the local government's official website, and register with your mobile number for the length of your stay. The local help page for your destination lists official sources where we have them.

Know if you are in an evacuation zone¶

Evacuation zones are based on storm surge, and many hotels and rentals sit right on the water. Ask the front desk or your host which zone the property is in. You can also look it up on the local emergency office's website. In the United States, you can call 211.

Write the zone down so you know right away when officials call it.

Why visitors are told to leave first¶

In many coastal areas, officials order tourists and visitors to leave before they order residents to leave. This can happen well before the storm arrives. It is normal, and it is for your safety.

Visitors often do not know the roads, have no local place to shelter, and may depend on flights that will stop. Clearing visitors early also frees up roads, fuel, and shelter space for residents.

Leave early while you still can¶

Airports close before the wind arrives, and the last flights fill up fast. Roads get crowded and fuel can run short, so the earlier you leave, the more choices you have.

If you have a flight home, call the airline or use its app to move to an earlier flight as soon as a storm threatens. If you are driving, leave in daylight and head inland, away from the storm's path. See How to evacuate safely for a hurricane.

Rental cars and fuel¶

A rental car gives you a way out if flights stop. If you already have one, keep the tank at least half full from the moment a storm is in the forecast. Gas stations close or run dry as a storm gets closer.

Ask the rental company what happens if an evacuation means you return the car late or in another city.

What to keep with you¶

Pack a small bag as soon as a storm is named.

• Passport or ID, and copies stored on your phone
• All medications, in their original containers, with extra days' supply if you have it
• Phone, charger, and a charged power bank
• Cash in small bills, since card readers and ATMs stop working without power
• Booking confirmations, insurance details, and emergency contacts on paper

Our hurricane go bag checklist has a longer list you can adapt for travel.

Tell someone at home your plans¶

Share your hotel name, room number, and travel dates with someone at home. Text them each time your plans change and when you are safe, since texts get through more often than calls.

If you cannot leave¶

If flights are full or roads close before you can get out, follow hotel staff and local officials. Many hotels have a plan for guests and will tell you where to go in the building.

Officials may open public shelters for people who cannot leave. Ask the front desk or local officials to find one that is open. If you shelter in your room, pick an interior space with no windows, such as a bathroom or closet, on a floor that will not flood.

If you are on a cruise¶

Cruise lines watch the weather closely and will change the route to steer clear of a storm. That can mean skipping a port, adding days at sea, or ending the trip in a different port than planned. Follow the crew's instructions and listen for announcements.

Ports can close before and after a storm, which may delay the day you get off the ship. Check your cruise line's policies and your travel insurance about missed flights and extra nights.

Language barriers¶

If you do not speak the local language well, ask hotel staff to explain any alerts or orders. Save the front desk number in your phone.

A translation app can help with written alerts. Download the language for offline use before the internet goes down.

Visiting family who live in the area¶

If you are staying with relatives, ask to see their hurricane plan and offer to help finish it. You can help with shopping, packing, and bringing outdoor furniture inside.

Talk about where everyone would go and how you would get there. Older relatives or those with medical needs may need extra time to leave, so help them start early. See Make a family emergency plan.

Related guides¶

• When a storm is approaching
• How to evacuate safely for a hurricane
• What to expect at a hurricane shelter
• Hurricane go bag checklist
• Hurricane watches vs warnings