Tips on How to Stay Safe When Disasters Hit While Traveling

You save for your travel, you plan, you make accommodations, book your rental car and set up your excursions. You’re excited and counting days. Then you hear the weather report, or you realize that the area is experiencing some earthquakes. What do you do?

Purchasing vacation and travel insurance can be a good idea, but the cost can be something that not everyone can absorb. If you didn’t purchase the insurance and you’re unable to travel due to airline issues or inclement weather along the way, it’s a good idea to start by calling your airline and accommodations. Find out what options you have. Sometimes you can move your travel dates, while other businesses will give you a refund. Bear in mind, there may be costs involved.

If you still go ahead with your trip, or a disaster occurs suddenly, there are a number of ways you can increase the likelihood of staying safe.

• Check immediately with your hotel concierge. They may have pre-existing disaster plans in place for their guests, which may include where to meet, how to get food and water, and where you can get medical care in an emergency.
• Keep your important documents in a sealed plastic bag in your room, somewhere you can quickly grab it. It’s important that the bag is waterproof and you can either stuff it down the front of your shirt or in a pocket. If you are traveling somewhere that could experience a problem, before you go, take copies of your documents to leave at home where someone could obtain them for you should you need proof of identity or anything else.
• When you arrive to your hotel, take a photo of your belongings and suitcases in the event you have to report any loss to your insurance company, particularly of your business equipment such as laptops or tablets, your camera equipment and of course, jewelry.
• Be sure that someone back home knows where you are and has your contact information. If power is wiped out, you may not be able to charge your phone or make a phone call after a disaster but in the event the authorities need to be notified, someone knows your whereabouts.
• Stay in approved areas. Inclement weather is not the time to take that hike to a desolate area. 
• Call your rental car agency to find out if they have any changes for car pick-up or drop-off. There could be power outages at the location that change their timeline so you may want to be aware of any delays or if there are traffic issues that could even change how you get into the parking lot. If power is out, the system can take a lot longer to handle customers.
• Keep at least a few bottles of water in your rental car and/or backpack. If you should get stuck anywhere, it’s important to stay hydrated, particularly if local water sources become unsafe.
• Follow the rules: there will be a lot of people in the same situation, so it’s important to maintain order and avoid chaos. Listen to the directives of hotel and airline staff, the rental car agency or the team at whatever excursion or venue you may be. Chances are, they’ve been through this before and have plans in place that are based on experience.
• Be aware of your surroundings. If earthquakes are occurring, avoid staying under things that can fall on you or near you. Downed branches or power lines can be deadly. 
• Avoid drinking water that may not be clean and stay out of unsafe water that could be contaminated. Listen to local law enforcement agencies in order to receive the best directions for your situation.

Wherever you travel, stay safe. Things don’t usually happen but during hurricane season, California wildfire season, or anywhere earthquakes and storms can occur, it’s always best to be prepared.