Ian began to affect the journey to America as a major storm

Even as the Caribbean continues to recover from Hurricane Fiona and Canada deals with the remnants of the storm system this weekend, concerns are growing about the impact of another strengthening storm: Ian.

Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cuba, along with the Florida Keys and the Florida Peninsula, are on alert this weekend and into the week, as the tropical storm is expected to intensify as the tropical storm moves through the western Caribbean. Sail toward the Gulf of Mexico.

While the storm’s final path has yet to be determined, it is already affecting travel.

Airlines have issued travel alerts this weekend for destinations that could be affected in the coming days, including flights to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and parts of Florida.

The alerts come as President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for Florida ahead of the storm’s damage, and emergency officials urged everyone in the state to start preparing.

Meanwhile, on the ground in the Cayman Islands – a popular tourist destination for American travelers – government officials plan to open emergency shelters on Sunday. A sign that travelers should consider making alternate plans whether they’re visiting now or have travel plans in the coming days.

The main airport in the Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) began seeing some flight disruptions on Sunday, with about 5 flights canceled by early morning, according to data from FlylyAware. The National Hurricane Center expects the island to see storm surges as early as Monday.

Ian can produce strong winds and rain with potential for flooding and mudslides in the Caribbean. The storm is expected to become a major hurricane as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico and will have significant impact on Florida later this week, meaning travel to and from Florida could increase in the coming hours and days. .

Airlines provide travel alerts

Several US airlines, including American, Delta and United, have issued travel warnings for destinations that could be affected by Ian this weekend.

After initially issuing travel alerts for flights to Grand Cayman and Havana, including Montego Bay, American has expanded to destinations in the state of Florida including Miami International Airport (MIA) and other major Florida airports in Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Myers and Destin/Fort Walton Beach, among others.

Delta has issued travel alerts for Grand Cayman. United has alerts for Grand Cayman and Montego Bay, Jamaica, along with airports in Florida.

The three U.S. carriers have as a general policy waived changes on domestic flights to and from the U.S. and, in many cases, to the Caribbean — except for basic economy tickets — a key tangible result of the travel warning. Even those with basic economy tickets will be able to change their travel plans if their travel plans fall within the warning.

Just check the specific terms of the airline alert so that you know your deadline for rebooking and travel.

Cancellation of travel and travel insurance

If you’re planning to travel to a destination that could be affected in the coming days – Florida or the Caribbean – or are in one of these areas now, it’s a good time to start asking a few key questions, as TPG spoke to a meteorologist last week as Hurricane Fiona strengthened:

• If you are currently in a destination that could be affected by a storm system, what backup travel arrangements might you need if you need to leave earlier than planned?
• If you plan to travel to the affected area in the coming days, do you have a travel insurance policy that you purchased before the storm was named, and what are the terms? How long do you have to decide to cancel? (Once a hurricane is named, it’s generally too late to buy a policy that will cover your expenses.)

Answering these questions by planning ahead can be critical to your safety while traveling and protecting your travel investment.

Air, sea and space logistics are affected.

As residents and visitors to the Western Caribbean and Florida prepare for Ian’s impact, the approaching severe weather is affecting a variety of air, sea and space operations in Florida.

While initial forecasts indicated that the storm would have a major impact on Florida’s Gulf Coast, along the state’s space coast, NASA announced this weekend that it would not proceed with the first launch test for Artemis 1, the twice-launched unmanned mission to the moon.

After mechanical issues marred a launch test over the Labor Day weekend, NASA was looking ahead to a possible launch on September 27 (Tuesday). It’s unclear when the next launch attempt might take place.

Meanwhile, Orlando International Airport (MCO) will halt some planned changes triggered by the opening of its new Terminal C, airport officials announced. That said, the airport is not sure what it will look like in the next several days, delaying the move of JetBlue and Caribbean Airlines to the new terminal.

He also stated that the airport is being prepared and prepared for the storm.

This weekend also saw popular Florida cruise ports put travelers on alert, with several ports under port status “X-Ray,” meaning gale-force winds are expected within 48 hours. If the port conditions improve to “Yankee”, the port will be closed, the wind is expected in 24 hours. The ports of Miami, Everglades and Tampa were all operating on “X-Ray” Sunday morning, with Port Canaveral one step lower, “Whiskey” in port conditions.

In general, hurricanes and other tropical storms prompt cruise lines to make simple itinerary changes, from changing port calls to sailing to different, unaffected regions.

at last

Ian has the potential to strengthen from a tropical storm to a hurricane in the coming days, and is on track to threaten several Caribbean islands and the state of Florida.

With the potential impact on travel in the coming days, it’s a good time to start planning ahead, whether you’re planning to travel to an affected area or stop off at an area along the way. The storm.

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