360DigitalInfluence

Natural disasters are bound to occur. Some are less of a surprise, like hurricanes or droughts, while others, like tornados, tsunamis or earthquakes can happen at any given moment without much notice.

The last year few years have seen devastating natural disasters all over the world. This month Los Angeles  has seen the largest wildfire on record, Kenya  is currently experiencing a serious drought, Taiwan  had a devastating  flash flood in August as a result of typhoon Morakot, Sichuan province in China   had one of the deadliest earthquakes since 1976, Hurricane Katrina all but destroyed New Orleans, and of course, the infamous tsunami that hit Asia  Boxing day 2004 killing hundreds of thousands of people – and that’s just naming a few.

As a traveler, there are things you can do to safeguard yourself should you find yourself stuck in the midst of a natural disaster.

1. Make sure you purchase travelers insurance . For such a nominal fee, there are a plethora of reasons this may come in handy. You shouldn’t leave home without it.

 
2. Register your travels with the State Department before you leave the country. This will make things much easier in the event of an emergency. Should something happen, they will be looking for you. Plus, if you lose your passport, you can get it replaced much quicker if you have registered.

 
3. Let people at home know your itinerary so they don’t have to guess where you may or may not be. I was in Thailand during the Tsunami and the last mass email I sent back home was from Bangkok the day or two before Christmas saying “heading to Phuket, can’t wait to spend the holidays on the beach”. Little did they know I hopped a plane to Malaysia hours before the Tsunami hit. My parents phone was ringing off the hook most of the day.

 
4. Be prepared. While many disasters can happen without warning, be aware of a regions hurricane, tornado, typhoon, wildfire or other natural disaster seasons.

While we as travelers can take precautions, much of the responsibility lies with destinations as well. For example, a well outlined communications plan, including which areas are open for business and which are not, is essential during a crisis. Offering travelers incentives during tumultuous times can’t hurt either, provided it is still safe for them to do so. Money back if it rains, Flu Free Guarantees, or free travelers insurance could show your destinations commitment to ensuring a vacationers tourist dollars are well spent.