Preparing for Vacation During Hurricane Season

Prepare Before 

You Go

Trip Planning

Hurricane Season Ahead

You've decided to take your vacation during hurricane season.  This might be your only trip this year, so you want to be assured that you and your family will enjoy their vacation.  A little bit of planning can assure that you've done everything within your control to guarantee that.  Some of the information here is applicable regardless of when you are traveling, so everyone should get some useful information in this article.

Don't Wait Until Last Minute to Plan
 
Everyone knows that as you get close to departure time, there's a lot to do.   For example, you'll stop your mail or make arrangements for someone else to get it for you,  arrange for your pets to be taken care of, stock up on sunscreen and other supplies for your trip ... the list may seem endless.

While threre will be some things that have to wait for the last minute, it's best to make a list of things to do and complete as many as you can early.  We've prepared a checklist, most of which can be done early.  While this is slanted towards a cruise vacation, most of the items are applicable to resort vacations as well.  It is important for suppliers to be able to contact you before you leave and during your trip.   Severe weather can quickly cause travel deviations.

BE PREPARED CHECKLIST

• Monitor hurricane warnings before your trip
• Activate cell phone international roaming if necessary
• Make sure cruise line and travel agent have current contact information
• Make sure airline has current contact information
• Setup flight notifications with airline if possible
• Share your itinerary with family and friends
• Review your travel insurance policy for potential coverages
• Call travel insurance provider to answer any questions about coverage
• Provide emergency contact information to cruise line, travel agent, and airline
• Keep passport, credit card, and necessary medication with you while in port
• If you have a balcony cabin, put all personal articles away
• Follow instructions given by ship's personnel

Resources to Help You 

As you get close to your departure date, one of the key things you'll want to do is stay on top of the weather forecast.   Scientific monitoring of weather systems has improved over the years and conditions that are favorable for tropical cyclones can be detected much earlier than years ago.  In many cases, an approaching storm will give at least 24 hours advance warning before strengthening into a powerful tropical storm or hurricane.

We've just updated the hurricane section on our Weather tab making it easier to find the resource (links) that you will want to visit.   We've broken the section into three main topics: 

• Hurricane Preparedness & Predictions
• Hurricane Educational Sites
• Hurricane & Tropical Weather Monitoring

 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HURRICANES (CLICK HERE)

Throughout hurricane season, we maintain our Hurricane Zone with updated information:

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

We also have live news feeds from various agencies, such as the NHC and NASA.  You can find these in the left-hand navigation on our blog.

International Travel

Our International Travel tab also has important planning information.   Here you'll find information about documenation requirements, local consulates, travel advisories, and general information about the countries you are visiting.   It is important for you to know about the destinations before you depart.

Review the Tips for Traveling Abroad.  You will have an enjoyable time if you use some common sense and follow some simple guidelines while traveling in foreign lands.  Make sure to listen to any advice given by your cruise director staff or resort staff.

On Your Trip

  
You and your traveling companions may be together most of the time, but not necessarily all the time.  It is important that each member of your traveling party knows the plan for meeting should you become separated and need to meet in the event of an emergency, or even just to return to your ship or resort.   

As you depart your ship or resort, pay attention to information about when you should be back.  Make sure that you have the same time as the ship / resort.  It is your responsibility to be back to the ship on time.  Also be sure that everyone has information about how to contact local authorities or port agents if assistance is needed.  This information is provided in the daily guide or supplemental material for the port.

Top 10 Reason For Trip Insurance

Protect Your Investment

Traveling during hurricane season increases the likelihood that you'll need some sort of assistance before, during, or even after your trip.  We highly recommend travel insurance regardless of when you travel, but especially during hurricane season.

When you think about travel insurance, you may think - I'm not planning on cancelling my trip, so why would I need travel insurance.  Recall what we said in our first installment of this series...   Expect the Unexpected.

Should you arrive at the airport and find that your flight has been delayed due to inclement weather, wouldn't it be comforting to have a pleasant voice on the other end of a telephone working on your behalf to salvage your hard-earned vacation plans?

What if someone in your party gets injured by something blowing around in the storm?   What if someone back home gets sick and needs your help?  The list of possible reasons for needing assistance are endless.   Did you know that it could cost upwards of $25,000 to be extracted from a ship in the event of a medical emergency?  Did you also know that Medicare and most health insurance companies do not cover you in a foreign land - and perhaps more importanly may not be in a position to recommend somewhere for you to get assistance in your time of need?

Discuss With Your Cruise & Vacation Specialist

We've provided you with a lot of information here which may be a bit overwhelming.   The goal of this article is not to worry you, but rather to reassure you that if you take the time to plan in advance, you will be prepared for the unexpected.   We hope that you'll never need any of the emergency assistance which is available to you through Travel Guard, our recommended provider, but if you do, we know they will be there to help you.

We'd be glad to answer any questions you might have on any of the information provided here.   Our goal is for you to have a wonderful, worry-free vacation.  Thank you for taking the time to read this important information.  

Late Season Tropical Storm Kenneth

Late-Season Tropical Storm Kenneth

Forms in East Pacific
Strengthens into Hurricane

KENNETH BECOMES THE LATEST-FORMING NAMED STORM IN THE EASTERN NORTH
PACIFIC SINCE HURRICANE WINNIE FORMED ON 4 DECEMBER 1983.

NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

Cruise Ship Impact     Current Watches & Warnings

700 AM PST WED NOV 23 2011

...KENNETH QUICKLY UNRAVELLING...

It is late in the Atlantic and Pacific Hurricane Seasons but Mother Nature isn't paying attention to the calendar.  NASA's  GOES-13 satellite was keeping forecasters informed about developing lows like System 90E in the eastern Pacific and another low pressure area in the Atlantic. 

90E has become Tropical Storm Kenneth and it is anticipated that it will become a hurricane shortly.

 In this image ... NOAA's GOES-13 satellite caught System 90E developing in the eastern Pacific (left) and another tropical low in the Atlantic (right) on Nov. 18, 2011 at 1145 UTC (7:45 a.m. EST). The low called System 90E appeared to be getting organized on the GOES infrared imagery with the largest amount of clouds north and east of the low's center of circulation. The cold front that brought tornadoes to the southeastern U.S. is seen to the west of the Atlantic Low.
Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

 

East Pacific Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking  

 

SUMMARY OF 700 AM PST...1500 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...12.6N 117.3W
ABOUT 860 MI...1385 KM SW OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH...150 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 275 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...978 MB...28.88 INCHES

Cruise Ship Travel Advisories

Carnival Tropical Update  

RCI Tropical Weather Update
 

NCL Tropical Weather Updates 
 

Holland America Travel Advisories 
 

Celebrity Cruises Travel Advisories  
Cruise lines will monitor this storm for any itinerary impact.
 

Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking  

NOAA Hurricane Central

Current Watches & Warnings

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

NONE.

THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS. 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 90 MPH...150 KM/H...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  KENNETH IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE. CONTINUED WEAKENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS...AND KENNETH IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL
STORM ON THURSDAY.  

HISTORICAL DATA:        Storm Archive       Graphics Archive                                         

100 PM PST SAT NOV 19 2011

...RARE MID-NOVEMBER TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS IN THE EASTERN
PACIFIC...

100 AM PST MON NOV 21 2011
...KENNETH RAPIDLY STRENGTHENING...EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE
LATER TODAY... 

700 AM PST TUE NOV 22 2011
...KENNETH STRENGTHENS TO A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE...STRONGEST LATE
SEASON EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC HURRICANE ON RECORD... 

Looking Back Five Years - Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina - Courtesy: NASA

Five years later, NASA is revisiting Hurricane Katrina with a short video that shows the storm as captured by NASA satellites. NASA provides space-based satellite observations, field research missions, and computer climate modeling to further scientists' understanding of these storms. NASA also provides measurements and modeling of global sea surface temperatures, precipitation, winds and ocean heat content -- all ingredients that contribute to the formation of tropical cyclones (the general name for typhoons, tropical storms and hurricanes).

Download this video from the NASA Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio

If you are regular readers of this blog, you know that we devote many column inches to tropical cyclones including hurricanes each season.  Many articles discuss approaching dangers and provide details about impacts to land and ships, including itinerary changes.   The most important articles are perhaps the ones on hurricane preparedness.    When a hurricane sets it sights on you, the loss of property is unavoidable, but it is possible that lives could be spared given sufficient warnings.

That is why NASA, NOAA, NWS, and other government agencies spend as much time and energy monitoring tropical cyclones as they do.    And, we will continue to provide updates here in this blog.

Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

It is fitting that we devote some time looking back at what has unfortunately become one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes of all time.  Katrina claimed more than 1,800 lives and caused over  $81 billion in damages.  Those numbers don't represent the real impact of Katrina.  While some lives were spared, their homes and neighborhoods were destroyed and people perished.   An emptiness replaced thriving communities.

Five years later, there are empty lots where homes once stood.    Livelihoods were lost forever in some cases.  Many homes and businesses were unable to rebuild, even with federal assistance.   The costs were just too high due to many factors including rising insurance and construction prices.

Katrina on the Web

NOAA: Five Years Post-Katrina, It’s Smoother Sailing in Gulf’s Busy Ports

The following sites have a wealth of information from 2005 and today about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on Louisiana and Mississippi.  There has been volumes of data recorded on this deadly hurricane with these sites being among the best on the web as of this writing.

Hurricane Katrina - Then and Now
NOAA Home Page - Hurricane Katrina	Read all about Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina Photos, Images and Information	Anniversary Puts New Focus on New Orleans
Think Progress » KATRINA TIMELINE	5 Years On, Katrina Dampens Coverage
Hurricane Katrina - Special Reports from CNN.com	Hurricane Katrina - ABC News
Hurricane Katrina - Wikipedia	Hurricane Katrina fifth anniversary radio and TV coverage
NASA - Hurricane Season 2005: Katrina	Storm Stories: A Hurricane Katrina Anniversary Special
NCDC: Hurricane Katrina	Hurricane Katrina Anniversary Events
Hurricane Katrina, 2005 - for Students	Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund Official Web Site

NOAA: The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones From 1851 to 2006 MS-Word and Adobe Acrobat PDF file formats

Celia Become First Hurricane 2010 Season

5-Day Forecast Cone for Storm Celia (Credit: NOAA NHC)
Click for Current 5-Day Graphic

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

UPDATE:  

800 PM PDT MON JUN 28 2010
...CELIA WEAKENS TO A REMNANT LOW...

800 PM PDT SAT JUN 26 2010
...CELIA WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM... 

800 AM PDT SAT JUN 26 2010
...CELIA CONTINUES TO WEAKEN...

800 PM PDT THU JUN 24 2010
...CELIA BECOMES A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE OVER OPEN WATERS...
 NO THREAT TO LAND...

200 PM PDT SUN JUN 20 2010
...CELIA BECOMES THE FIRST HURRICANE OF THE 2010 EAST PACIFIC SEASON...

Graphics courtesy NOAA/SSD

Tropical Storm Celia has strengthened into the first Hurricane of the East Pacific 2010 Hurricane Season.  Celia is currently a Category One Hurricane with additional strengthening forecast.   It is heading west away from land, so it doesn't pose any immediate threat to Mexico, which is the nearest land.

There are currently two active storms which we are tracking.  Tropical Storm Blas has weakened to a remnant as of the latest advisory.  We will no longer monitor Tropical Storm Blas.  NHC issuing advisories on Hurricane CELIA and Hurricane DARBY

UPDATE 6/23:  Also tracking DARBY 
Tropical Storm Darby Forms in East Pacific
NASA Satellites See Hurricane Celia Strengthen and Open an Eye
NASA Infrared Imagery Hinted Darby Would Become a Hurricane

For complete up to the minute information on this developing storm, click on the RSS feeds in the left navigation pane of this blog.   We will provide updates periodically as conditions warrant.

Current Watches & Warnings

There are no current Coastal Watches or Warnings in Effect

Discussion & Outlook

SUMMARY OF 800 AM PDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION (26 JUN)

LOCATION...15.6N 121.5W
ABOUT 910 MI...1460 KM WSW OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH...150 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 295 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...974 MB...28.76 INCHES

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 90 MPH...150 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  CELIA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE.  ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS...AND CELIA IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL STORM
ON SUNDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES...65 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 125
MILES...205 KM.

Historical:  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 160 MPH..

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

NONE.

There are no cruise ships in the immediate vicinity of 
Celia or Darby

Tropical Storm Resources (click links below)
Hurricane CELIA	National Hurricane Center
East Pacific Tropical Weather Outlook	National Weather Service
East Pacific Tropical Weather Discussion	Hurricane Preparedness
Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook (EPAC)	Real-Time Hurricane Information
Active Storms	NOAA Satellites & Information
NASA: Latest Storm Images	WMO Severe Weather Information Centre
Real-time Monitoring (E. Pacific)	The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Real-time Weather Sites	Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

Potential for First Named Tropical Storm in Pacific

 Satellite Image of   System 90E  (Credit NASA)

NASA Satellite Spots Forming Cyclone

The Eastern Pacific is likely to see its first named tropical cyclone of the hurricane season this weekend. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of a low pressure area called "90E" in the Eastern Pacific that forecasters are watching for tropical development.  Once named, System 90E would become "Tropical Storm Agatha."

AIRS, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument on Aqua, provides scientists with infrared satellite imagery. That imagery measures cloud top temperatures and sea surface temperatures.  Cloud tops of tropical cyclones are colder than -63 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cold temperatures in that range are indicative of strong thunderstorms and strong convection (rapidly rising air that condenses and forms the thunderstorms that power tropical cyclones).

The developing cyclone, with winds estimated to be 20 to 25 knots (23-28 mph), was first spotted 205 nautical miles south of Salina Cruz, Mexico early AM on May 27th,   The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) indicated that potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is good.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has begun to monitor this potential tropical storm and will issue advisories if warranted.   We will keep an eye on this potential storm also and provide updates.    Monitor the NHC (Eastern Pacific) RSS feeds in the left navigation pane for advisories.

See where ships are relative to tropical storms

Interactive tracking map (real-time ship tracking)

NASA is also tracking another potential tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific near Hong Kong.  We will monitor System 90W for further development also.