Hurricanes Florence and Isaac: Travel implications for US East Coast and Caribbean

Every long-distance train in the affected states has been cancelled up to and including Sunday

Anyone planning to flying west this week might want to think again. Two separate Atlantic hurricanes are set to reach land on Thursday, causing massive disruption on the eastern seaboard of the United States and among the Caribbean islands. And a third hurricane is following in their wake. The travel implications, like the weather, are extreme.

Starting in the US: what is the forecast?

Hurricane Florence is about 600 miles southeast of the coast of Georgia, moving north-west. The latest bulletin from the US National Hurricane Centre (7am BST Wednesday) reads: “Florence getting better organised and increasing in size ... life-threatening storm surge possible along the coasts of North and South Carolina ...inland flooding to follow.”

Over the weekend, and even into next week, there is a threat of inland flooding in Tennessee, Georgia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

The Foreign Office says: “Follow the advice of local authorities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, including any evacuation orders, and monitor news and social media for more information."

What is the effect so far for travellers?

BA says passengers booked to or from Washington Dulles or Baltimore-Washington International up to Sunday 16 September can travel on a later date up to and including Wednesday 19 September.

All the domestic airlines have issued “waivers,” which mean people booked to fly to or from airports in the affected area up to Sunday can postpone their journeys without penalty. The key airports are Raleigh-Durham, Charleston and Charlotte, but some airlines are also including Baltimore-Washington.

People flying from the area are being allowed to take more pets than usual. The leading airline in the region says: “Delta is temporarily lifting the per-flight caps on the number of pets allowed in the cabin.“

On the railways, every long-distance train in the affected states has been cancelled up to and including Sunday.

What is happening in the Caribbean?

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma last September, Hurricane Isaac is aiming for Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Dominica, and will lose strength after it makes landfall tomorrow.

British Airways is offering passengers booked to or from Antigua, Punta Cana, Providenciales, St Kitts, St Lucia or Port of Spain up to Friday 14 September to postpone up to Monday 17 September.

The Foreign Office says: “Hurricane Isaac is forecast to reach the Caribbean region on or around Thursday 13 September 2018.

“You should monitor local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Centre and follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation orders.” After the hurricanes that tore through the region last autumn, causing devastation on some islands, there are of course worries about the effects.

A third hurricane, Helene, which is off the Cape Verde Islands in the eastern Atlantic, but which is “turning northwestward over the cooler waters of the eastern Atlantic” according to the forecasters. It may hit the east coast of the US or change direction and head for the Caribbean.

What are your rights if you have booked to go to the region?

As the UK cools off, the Caribbean is a tempting alternative. Prices for holidays are low, especially in September – the peak of the June-to-November hurricane season. But anyone who books a holiday at this time of year in the Caribbean must be prepared for the risk of extreme weather.

Until the Foreign Office says “don’t go”, there is no automatic right to cancel – though holiday companies may allow some flexibility for customers who ask.