Hurricane season: Be aware of the risks to your safety before you go
Credit: Global Affairs Canada
Water, heat, humidity and wind: The perfect elements for a great day of sailing on a calm, clear stretch of water. However, on the high seas, this beautiful image can quickly turn into a darker and much more frightening one when these elements merge and start swirling forcefully towards the coast. Harvey, Ian, Sandy, Irma and Katrina … all these major hurricanes caused significant destruction and claimed a large number of victims.
Credit: Global Affairs Canada
The same applies to individual actions that may be beneficial in and of themselves. When these actions are combined, they can have a major impact.
Tropical storms, even weak ones, can quickly intensify and become major hurricanes, posing a serious threat to your safety. The Government of Canada establishes risk levels to international destinations to help travelers make informed decisions. When a tropical storm warning is issued, the risk level for a destination may be adjusted to advise against non-essential travel. You should be prepared to cancel your plans at the last minute, depending on the current risk level and the evolving situation on the ground.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
This reasoning also applies to Canadians travelling or staying in hurricane-prone regions.
Credit: Global Affairs Canada
As we begin hurricane season (from June 1 to the end of November in the Atlantic Ocean, and from May 15 to November 30 in the Pacific Ocean), the Canadian government is encouraging its citizens to take the following 8 actions. Together, these actions can make a significant contribution to your safety abroad. Remember that, in the event of a hurricane, you could face serious safety risks.
- Regularly consult the Natural disasters and climate section of the Travel advice and advisories web pages, before and during your stay abroad, to make informed decisions about your destination and whether it is prone to hurricanes. Ignoring official warnings could affect your insurance coverage and safety. Your insurance policy may be cancelled if a travel warning is in effect for your destination.
- Register with the free Registration of Canadians Abroad service to allow the government of Canada to notify you in case of an emergency in your destination country.
- Follow Travel.gc.ca on social media on social media to receive ongoing updates about safety conditions abroad.
- Take note of the contact information of the Canadian office abroad that is closest to your destination so you know who to contact in an emergency. Please note that our ability to help you may be limited.
- Be prepared for any possibility, such as having to change or cancel your trip, being stranded abroad, facing major power outages or being forced to stay in your hotel room.
- Review your travel insurance to find out all the details about your coverage and adapt it to your needs.
- Get information from official sources in emergency situations.
- Consult the Severe storms outside Canada page for more information.
The 2024 hurricane season: Striking figures
- When a tropical storm reaches sustained winds of at least 63 km/h, it is officially named.
- An “average” season consists of 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.
- During the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, 18 tropical storms were named, 11 storms became hurricanes, and of those, 5 were major hurricanes.
- Last year’s Atlantic hurricane season began quietly and ended with a bang. In November alone, 3 hurricanes formed.
- In 2024, a total of 5 storms made landfall. From 1991 to 2020, the average number of storms that made landfall was 1.7 per year.
- The forecast for the 2025 season is similar to the 2024 season, that is, above normal. The forecast is expecting between 13 to 19 tropical storms to be named, 6 to 10 hurricanes, of which 3 to 5 may become major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.
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