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Hurricane Season – How to Travel and What to Expect as Hurricane Irma Hits

Hurricane Season - How to Travel and What to Expect as Hurricane Irma HitsIt’s hurricane season and that means hurricanes, tropical storms, or tropical depressions impacting travel plans. Here is how to travel and what to expect as Hurricane Irma hits. Also, note that tropical storm Jose is due to follow in the footsteps of Hurricane Irma and expected to be upgraded to hurricane status by Wednesday according to The Weather Channel.

The Atlantic is bracing for more damaging storms and a category 5 hurricane named Hurricane Irma. That means wind speeds over 157 mph. Category 5 hurricanes are rare and Irma is projected to pack a punch of wind speeds up to 180 mph. To put it in perspective, Hurricane Katrina was a category 5, but by the time it made landfall it weakened to a category 3. For the impacted areas, flooding was the major issue where wind is currently the main concern for Irma.

Related: Weather and Airplanes – How Big of a Threat is Weather ?

So, how do you travel and what should you expect? Hurricane Irma is on the path towards the Caribbean and the Florida area. Parts of Florida including the Florida Keys have already begun evacuations as both Florida and South Carolina have declared a state of emergency. This season is predicted to be a very active hurricane season which began June 1 and continues through the end of November.

If you have plans for travel hot spots like Disney World and Universal Orlando, you might need to fall on your back up plan. In the interest of safety, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure have closed in the past due to weather, so it’s a strong chance Hurricane Irma might shut down the parks. Below is Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations™ Severe Weather Cancellation Policy…

Related: First Time Traveler’s Guide: Easy Tips for a Worry-Free Trip

At Universal Orlando Resort, we know how important your vacation is to you and your family. And while we can guarantee an incredible vacation experience here at Universal Orlando, we unfortunately can’t make any guarantees about the weather.

If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area or for your place of residence no more than 7 days before your scheduled arrival date, you can call in advance to cancel or reschedule your Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations hotel accommodations and Universal Orlando theme park tickets without any cancellation or change fees imposed. Additional elements including air, car rental or other theme park tickets are separate and not part of this policy.

This means you have an opportunity to adjust your plans without the fear of costly penalties at Universal Orlando. It would be wise to start contacting accommodations or any other locations where you have made plans now. Safety should always be your priority and if you’ve purchased any kind of travel or vacation insurance, you’ll need to check your policy terms in regards to weather coverage. Not all plans are created equal! If you wisely used a travel agent, they should be able to answer any and all questions you have.

We here at Tourist Meets Traveler encourage safety first at all times! Please be cautious and remember that money can be replaced, memories can be made another time, and your well-being should always be your first concern.

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Image credit: The Weather Channel