Hurricane Season Travel Tips

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The hurricane season extends from early June to late November. The east and Gulf coasts of the United States (including Florida, Louisiana and Texas), Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean are the most threatened areas. Catastrophic storms appear to be becoming more frequent and have caused extreme damage to infrastructure, cutting off access to transportation, emergency assistance, medical care and food and water. The ability of consular officials to assist Canadian citizens may be limited in such circumstances. If you plan to travel during the hurricane season, we encourage you to:

• Check our Travel Reports & Warnings page to see if it is safe to travel to your destination.
  
  
• Confirm travel arrangements prior to departure and ensure that your travel insurance allows for trip cancellation or interruption in the event of a hurricane.
  
  
• Ensure that detailed information is left with family or friends in Canada, including the name of the tour operator, flight details, hotel name, location, room number and telephone numbers, cruise ship details and itineraries.
  
  
• Ensure that page 4 of your passport is filled out properly and leave copies of all travel documents with someone in Canada.
  
  
• Register on-line with the responsible Canadian government office (embassy, high commission or consulate) or by calling our Emergency Operations Centre (see below) to request a registration form.
  
  
• Monitor local news broadcasts and weather reports carefully, follow the advice of local authorities and tour operators and know how to contact the nearest Canadian government office.
  
  
• Obtain up-to-date weather forecasts for the region from the National Hurricane Center.
  
  
• Visit the Web site of the Canadian Hurricane Centre for recommendations on hurricane preparedness.
  
  
• Carry contact details for our Emergency Operations Centre, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and accepts collect calls (where available) from Canadians requiring assistance abroad (tel.: 613-996-8885, e-mail:sos@international.gc.ca).

For more information, see the Before You Go and Hurricane sections of our Web site. Or contact the Consular Affairs Bureau of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada by telephone (1 800 267-6788 or 613-944-6788), TTY (1 800 394-3472 or 613-944-1310) or e-mail (voyage@international.gc.ca).