Florida has issued a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Helene — here’s what you need to be aware of

Florida has announced a state of emergency for 41 out of the 67 counties as Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall while moving west through the Caribbean.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Tropical Storm Helene is the eighth storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and officials are advising both residents and visitors to get ready before the storm intensifies.

According to the latest forecast from The Weather Channel, Tropical Storm Helene is expected to grow "into a significant and dangerous hurricane before it hits Florida's Gulf Coast Thursday night."

If you are heading to an area that might be impacted, here’s what you should keep in mind.

Here’s the storm’s projected path

Tropical storm warnings have been issued for regions of the Yucatan Peninsula, western Cuba, and Grand Cayman, indicating the likelihood of tropical storm and hurricane conditions in the coming 36-48 hours.

Furthermore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released multiple storm surge warnings for Florida's Gulf Coast.

As of the time this was published, the storm was located approximately 200 miles southeast of Cozumel, south of Cancun, Mexico.

How to adjust your travel plans

If you're planning to visit one of the previously mentioned locations this week or next, you’re probably curious about how this might impact your trip.

Unfortunately, you cannot assume that you'll be able to cancel your trip and receive a refund due to this potential storm, as noted by SquareMouth, which compares travel insurance options from leading U.S. providers.

If your hotel remains operational, you are still obligated to pay for your booking unless you chose a refundable rate. A hotel will only cancel your reservation if a forthcoming storm renders it uninhabitable or if it loses power or water supply.

Even if your hotel and airline reservations are nonrefundable, it's still beneficial to reach out and explore your options. For instance, consider contacting your airline to inquire about changing to an earlier or later flight to your destination.

Make sure to keep an eye on your airline's website, as it may provide waivers that allow free flight changes at affected airports. As of this writing, American Airlines and United Airlines have both issued waivers for travel through Friday.

Is it still possible to purchase travel insurance?

Once a tropical storm or hurricane has been officially named, it is too late to buy travel insurance, which applies to Helene in this case.

Therefore, travel insurance experts advise securing coverage at the time of booking, especially when traveling to areas prone to storms during hurricane season.

Otherwise, it will probably be too late.

If you purchased travel insurance in advance, be aware that different plans offer varying levels of coverage, including trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, and baggage loss and delay coverage.

This applies to credit cards with trip delay insurance as well, which may or may not cover weather-related incidents like hurricanes.

In summary

If you act swiftly, you might still salvage part of your trip to Florida this week as Helene poses potential disruptions.

While there's no guarantee beyond the outlined terms and conditions of your travel bookings and the credit card used, reaching out directly to your airline, hotel, or credit card provider can be beneficial.

For additional tips on managing travel during hurricane season, check out:

• Common travel blunders to avoid during hurricane season
• Hurricane season is upon us: TPG's travel guide for storm preparedness
• Cruising during hurricane season: What you should know — and should you go?
• Should you purchase travel insurance if your credit card offers protection?
• Is travel insurance a wise investment?
• Flight canceled or delayed? Here's your next step