Hurricane Season: What You Need to Know

Hard to believe, but hurricane season is upon us once again. June marks the beginning of the season with November usually bookending the end of the season. Here is what you need to know when it comes to traveling during this time of year.

• Least Impacted Destinations. If hurricanes are something you want to avoid when making travel plans, there are island destinations that are far less susceptible to tropical storms or hurricanes. Curacao, Aruba and Granada are southern Caribbean destinations that are usually outside the path of most seasonal severe storms. Areas more likely to be in a path are Jamaica, Cancun, the Caymans, Turks and Caicos, Punta Cana and the US and British Virgin Islands.

• Hurricanes Seldom Surprise. Unlike tornados, earthquakes and other natural disasters that can pop up at anytime, hurricanes need time to build and develop. Storm predictors usually give plenty of notice of possible path and strength well before a hurricane ever makes landfall. So no worries usually of being "caught in a hurricane" during your summer/fall vacation.

• Resort Hurricane Policies. Most resorts that operate in an area known to be a hurricane area have some form of hurricane policy protecting the guests travel investment. Most will let someone either cancel or reschedule if a hurricane is predicted to be headed their way.

While hurricanes can cause some consternation when you have a trip scheduled to an area that is or might be soon impacted, traveling during hurricane season can provide some relief to a traveler's wallet. Most destinations that are within the known "hurricane zone" offer deals and promos during this time of year to encourage bookings. So if you can be flexible with your plans, meaning, if you are ok with them needing to possibly be changed, traveling during hurricane season can be great when it comes to crowds and budget.