Part of vacation planning includes Emergency preparedness plans!

Hurricane preparedness doesn’t stop jut because you are on vacation.

Just got finished reading Robert’s Caribbean Travel Blog ( see below). Yes there are great deals on travel and fantastic vacations to experience during Hurricane season. If you are going to enjoy a vacation in the Caribbean or even in the US hurricane zones like shore vacations along the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico then be hurricane prepared.

Make sure you have set aside some of your pre-vacation time to get disaster preparedness information on where evacuation shelters are, alternative routes for evacuation planning, what are the guidelines the airlines have for emergency flight changes to get out of a Caribbean dream destination before a hurricane nightmare.

Pack low cost emergency survival kits one for each member of the family with a flashlight, some shelf safe food, bottled water and extra medication. Bring alone a portable radio with fresh batteries.. Get a hurricane reference guide for the local area you are going to be vacationing at. Review emergency preparedness tips as well. Oh yes by all means make sure you have an emergency preparedness checklist to you can quickly see what you have and what is necessary to do if a hurricane is making its way to your vacation spot.

Remember to be flexible during a hurricane zone vacation. IF a hurricane is even a mild possibility then change your plans. Go somewhere else. Don’t risk getting stranded in a dream location in an evacuation. That is not the best kind of vacation in fact it can be the worst of vacations.

If you are going to go to a hurricane prone location then spend the extra money to get travel insurance. There is also vacation insurance that will offset the costs of an emergency evacuation. Yes it might cost a bit more (and insurance premiums will often be higher) to have the insurance but well worth it if a hurricane is joining you on vacation.

Enjoy your vacation but also keep a close ear on the news and weather forecasts so you can be some of the first out of a potential hurricane storm.

COMMENTS WELCOMED!

Please share your thoughts, emergency preparedness tips and stories here on this blog.

All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.

Be Safe – Be Prepared – Help Others!

Terrie

www.trainforahurricane.com

Dr. Terrie Modesto, PhD, author of Train For A Hurricane is an international expert in dying, death, loss and critical incident individual and community disaster preparation and response with 20+ year’s experience. She has over 60 courses, books and training manuals to her credit and is available for consulting, lectures and interviews. Website: www.trainforahurricane.com Blog: http://hurricane-prepared-ness.blogspot.com/

Robert's Caribbean Travel Blog

By Robert Curley, About.com Guide to Caribbean Travel

http://gocaribbean.about.com/b/2008/06/16/hurricane-shmuricane-poll-finds-many-travelers-unconcerned-about-storm-threat.htm

Hurricane, Shmuricane: Poll Finds Many Travelers Unconcerned About Storm Threat

Monday June 16, 2008

A recent survey of TripAdvisor members finds that 30 percent of travelers -- and 36 percent of U.S. travelers -- say they plan to visit a destination in the hurricane zone this summer even though it is hurricane season. Moreover, 43 percent of those traveling to hurricane-prone areas like Florida and the Caribbean say they are not concerned about a storm interrupting their trip, and 15 percent said they are taking advantage of low, hurricane-season prices on hotels, airfares, etc.

The survey found that while the Caribbean is the "most feared" hurricane-season destination, 64 percent of travelers said they would be willing to visit a destination in the hurricane zone if it meant significant savings: 26 percent said it would take a half-off deal to lure them, while about a quarter of travelers would take the risk for a 41-50 percent discount (only 17 percent of those surveyed said they wouldn't travel to a hurricane area for any price). Lucky for travelers, those are exactly the kind of discounts you can find in the Caribbean for summer stays.

If that's not enough evidence that travelers are hardier souls than they usually get credit for, the poll also found that fewer than half say they would immediately cancel their vacation plans if a hurricane was due to hit their destination, and 10 percent said they would ride out the storm. Only about one in five travelers say that predictions of an active hurricane season would alter their travel plans.

"Travelers consistently appear to have a healthy respect for hurricanes, but generally won't let weather get in the way of their vacation plans," said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for Trip Advisor.