Talking Points – Hurricane Damage in the Caribbean

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The following Talking Points can be used in conversations with the media and clients who have questions about traveling to the Caribbean post-Hurricane Irma. (September 13, 2017)

1. Hurricane Irma’s destruction has deeply affected many Caribbean islands. Many are, at the time of this writing, not suitable for travel.

2. We are here to assist our clients; their safety and well-being is our top priority.

3. We provide the facts so our clients can make an informed decision about their travel plans.

Below you will find additional information, supporting material, and statistics supporting each talking point.

1. Hurricane Irma’s destruction has deeply affected many Caribbean islands. Many are, at the time of this writing, not suitable for travel.

 Wikipedia gives a history of the storm: “Irma developed on August 30, 2017 near the Cape Verde Islands, from a tropical wave that had moved off the west African coast three days prior. Under favorable conditions, Irma rapidly intensified shortly after formation, becoming a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale within a mere 24 hours. On September 4, Irma resumed intensifying, becoming a Category 5 hurricane by early the next day. On September 6, Irma reached its peak intensity with 185 mph (295 km/h) winds and a minimum pressure of 914 mbar (914 hPa; 27.0 inHg), making it the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide so far in 2017. Another eyewall replacement cycle caused Irma to weaken back to a Category 4 hurricane, but the storm attained Category 5 status for a second time while making landfall in Cuba. After dropping to Category 3 intensity due to land interaction, the storm re-intensified to Category 4 as it crossed warm waters between Cuba and the Florida Keys before making landfall on Cudjoe Key with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h). Irma dropped back to Category 3 by the time it made a second Florida landfall on Marco Island. Irma weakened to a Category 2 hurricane later that day, the first time it weakened below major hurricane status in over a week, and eventually dissipated over the southeastern United States.”

 Hurricane Irma caused dozens of deaths and devastated many Caribbean islands’ infrastructure.

o Caribbean countries most affected by Irma were:

 Antigua and Barbuda

 the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Turks and Caicos

 The Bahamas

 Cuba

 the island of Hispaniola (the home of the Dominican Republic and Haiti)

 Puerto Rico

 St. Martin/Sint Maarten

 the French Overseas Territory of Saint Barthelemy

 the United States Virgin Islands

 

 The island of Barbuda, one of the two islands that make up the country of Antigua and Barbuda suffered catastrophic damage.

o NPR interviewed Asot Michael, the Minister of Tourism for Antigua and Barbuda:

 “Antigua, which is the larger of the two, which is also the seat of government and where most of the commercial activity is located, has been given the all clear and is open for business. In fact, the airport is fully operational. And direct international flights have resumed from Europe and North American region.”

 “Hotels in Antigua suffered very little damage, mainly to trees and landscape. In fact, 98 percent of the country’s hotels and tourist facilities are located in Antigua, not Barbuda, and are now fully operational and receiving guests. The full cruise ship berths on Antigua are all fully operational and capable of accommodating up to the quantum-class-size ships.”

 “Barbuda, which was very, very badly damaged by Hurricane Irma – it does remain a huge, momentous challenge. We have established a timeline to clear the island of the rubble within three weeks and to commence the rebuilding efforts immediately. But the rebuilding efforts will include the construction of new berthing facilities for the cruise ships, the reconstruction of entire port facility in Barbuda, all of the infrastructure, the energy needs, water, telecommunications and electricity.”

o Barbuda’s population has been almost completely evacuated: “Barbuda, the first island to feel the force of Hurricane Irma was devastated by its high winds, with Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, saying 90% of buildings had been destroyed and 50% of the population of about 1,000 people left homeless. The island is now a near-deserted disaster zone. Almost all of its 1,500 residents left for the sister island of Antigua, a 90-minute boat ride away, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Jose.” (The Guardian)

 Numerous British Overseas Territories were affected by Hurricane Irma. The British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean consist of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and Turks and Caicos. The islands are home to 75,000 people.

o Anguilla’s water supply, as well as the electrical infrastructure continue to be a challenge.

 Roads and airport runways have been cleared, according to the Caribbean Journal.

o The British Virgin Islands were devastated by the storm.

 The Independent noted the severe damage: “The unofficial estimate puts the loss at 90 per cent of homes, businesses and boats. With the threat of another hurricane looming, it took several days for aid to arrive. Now the fear is that the islands will be forgotten.”

 Visitors to the British Virgin Islands cannot fly directly there, and must connect through other Caribbean airports. Many of these airports, such as St. Martin, are currently non-operational.

o Turks and Caicos’ main airport, Provodenciales International Airport, has reopened for scheduled flights.

 The Turks & Caicos Tourist Board, in a news release on September 10, said that many hotel properties were closed for assessment and “looking to reopen by the beginning to middle of October.” The Tourist Board encourages travelers and travel professionals to contact properties individually to gage the feasibility of travel.

 

 Although the U.S. State Department had issued a Travel Warning for The Bahamas during Hurricane Irma Travel + Leisure notes that the country is ready for travelers again: “The group of islands collectively known as the Bahamas has rebounded quickly from the hurricane in the wake of the damage, with most major hotels planning to be up and running by the end of the week. The Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau opened Monday, and the first cruise ships are slated to arrive to port Wednesday, according to a press release from the Bahamian tourist board.”

o “Travelers should feel safe traveling back to the island, as flights are landing and Atlantis, Paradise Island, Sandals Royal Bahamian, Warwick Paradise Island, Baha Mar Resort and Casino, and Melia Nassau Beach Resort are all expected to be operational by Wednesday.”

 Cuba’s northern coast was where Hurricane Irma made landfall. The city of Havana is located in the north.

o 10 Cubans died as a result of Irma, and much of the country’s infrastructure was damaged.

 Flooding and power loss have been the main issues post-Irma, according to CNN: “Havana residents woke up Monday to a city still without power and some neighborhoods still under water.”

 “Even though Havana was far from where Irma first hit, the city suffered severe flooding and widespread wind damage.

o On September 13, 2017, the U.S. State Department issued a Travel Warning for Cuba, due to Irma’s damage.

 “The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Cuba while Hurricane Irma recovery efforts are underway. Large parts of the country, including many areas of the capital Havana, are without power and running water. Transportation is difficult and many roads remain impassable due to downed trees and power lines. While Cuban authorities are working to clear the debris, it will be several days before roads are fully open in Havana. Outside the capital, north central Cuba suffered severe damage and should be avoided until further notice.”

 The Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola, had strong winds and rains from Hurricane Irma.

o On September 12, The Guardian wrote, “The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Antigua and Anguilla experienced minimal damage, with some hotels expected to welcome guests from as early as Thursday.”

o Punta Cana International Airport is operational, and accepting flights from all over the world.

 Puerto Rico did not take a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, but its effects were still felt. Reported NBC News: “Ricardo Ramos, chief executive of the island’s electric utility, said about two-thirds of the island’s electric customers — more than 1 million — were without power late Wednesday. More than 56,000 people were without potable water.

o A news release from the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association said:

 “While the assessment of impact across the island continues, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s preliminary report shows that major tourism infrastructure and attractions are operational and the island can continue to welcome new visitors. While power outages are present throughout the Island, many hotels, as well as essential services on the island such as hospitals, are operational due to generators and the majority of hotels throughout mainland Puerto Rico are ready to welcome new guests.

 

Attractions such as parks and beaches are currently being assessed to ensure a committed focus on quick clean up in the coming days.”

 “Flights to and from Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport have resumed. Puerto Rico’s port is operational and should be receiving cruises by September 9.”

 “‘Travelers planning to visit Puerto Rico can be confident in that their travel plans should not be affected, and that our industry is ready to continue providing the quality experience that distinguishes us,’ said Jose Izquierdo, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.”

 St. Martin/Sint Maarten (the island is split into French and Dutch territories) has evacuated numerous Americans from the island after the devastation of Hurricane Irma.

o On September 9, 2017, The Hill wrote that “More than 500 Americans stranded on the island of St. Martin have been rescued by U.S. military aircraft.

C-130 aircraft from the Puerto Rico, Kentucky and New York Air National Guard began evacuating Americans Friday evening, and one Defense official put the number of Americans rescued at more than 800 by Saturday afternoon.”

o The Dutch Red Cross has estimated a 90% damage rate for buildings in Sint Maarten.

o Princess Juliana International Airport has been nearly destroyed, and is not operational at this time. The airport is popular for the low landings that planes make there.

 Because of the destruction, “The damage at Princess Juliana Airport made it difficult for aid to arrive. Still Dutch officials said they have planes that will be able to land at the airport, carrying food and water to supply the island’s 40,000 residents for at least five days,” the Washington Post reports.

 Princess Juliana’s website does not list any arrivals or departures, and gives no further information estimating functionality.

 St. Barthelemy, in addition to sustaining its own severe damage in Hurricane Irma, is hampered further by the fact that the main point of entry for air travelers is from Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Martin/Siint Maarten, which has its own severe hurricane damage and is not accepting flights.

o The New York Times notes that the island is almost entirely dependent upon tourism: “On St. Barthélemy, there is an ambitious plan, shared by nearly everyone on the island: restore the hotels, shops and restaurants fast enough to catch at least part of the winter high season. There is the will, the scale — the island covers only eight square miles — and undoubtedly the money; the island has been called the ‘St. Moritz of the Caribbean.’”

 “Bruno Magras, the president of the local government, said the largest impact was on private homes and public infrastructure, like the fire station and government offices. Hotel capacity also has been hit. ‘Obviously that will have an economic impact,’ he said. ‘Tourism is everything to us. It’s the only economic activity we have. We import everything and export nothing.’”

 The United States Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix) are not able to welcome travelers currently, and there is no timeline for the renewal of tourism services.

o The United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has requested on their website that “Due to the impact of Hurricane Irma, we are requesting the postponement of all scheduled visits to St. Thomas and St. John.”

 

 The Department of Tourism has been working with cruise line partners to evacuate residents and visitors to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

o NPR notes: “St. Croix, an island spared the worst of Irma’s effects, has become the temporary staging area for delivering relief supplies to the rest of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. The other two major islands in the U.S. territory, St. John and St. Thomas, are still ‘not safe,’ resident Elizabeth Smith wrote in an email Sunday.

 “‘No power, no running water, no cell service. The only hospital on St. John faced catastrophic failure during the storm,’ she said, later clarifying over the phone that she was referring to the hospital on St. Thomas. ‘Patients with life threatening injuries were evacuated to hospitals in Puerto Rico and St. Croix.’”

o An article in the New York Times reported lootings and food shortages on St. John and St. Thomas.

 Ports in Florida have been reopened with limited service. Travel Agent Central provided a list of ports and their capacities as of Tuesday, September 12:

o “PortMiami and the Port Tunnel are open today, although the port remains closed to marine traffic at this time.

o “Port Canaveral reports that port officials are making preliminary assessments and that no major damage has been noted at this point. The port remains closed until further notice.”

o “Port Tampa Bay is reopening to fuel tankers only. Although the port only received minor damage and flooding from the storm, strong winds continue to pose a safety issue.”

o “Port Everglades reports that the Coast Guard is completing channel surveys so that ships can begin entering the port later this morning. Three cruise ships are waiting to come in.”

o Despite the limited use of Florida ports, many cruise lines have canceled sailings or modified itineraries for their Caribbean cruises. It is recommended that all travelers and travel professionals carefully confirm the details of their cruise.

2. We are here to assist our clients; their safety and well-being is our top priority.

 We are advocates for our clients; and they know that by working with a true travel professional, we are there for them before, during and after their trip should they need us – which gives them peace of mind.

 We strongly encourage all of our clients, whether they are traveling domestically or internationally, to purchase travel insurance, particularly right at the same time as travel has been booked. Travel insurance offers an additional layer of protection for travelers and can potentially help save a traveler hundreds or thousands of dollars if a medical or travel emergency occurs.

 Travel agents are trained to monitor situations, such tropical storms and hurricanes, which may impact their clients’ travel plans. As such, they also are in a position to work on alternative travel plans and have those in place the moment the need arises.

 If changes in travel plans are necessary due to weather, many times, travel agents are able to rebook clients for no additional charge or are able to obtain travel vouchers and/or refunds that clients may not know are due or available to them.

 

o Some U.S. airlines are now offering travel waivers due to Irma, including:

 Alaska Airlines

 American Airlines

 Delta Air Lines

 United Airlines

 With limited airline seats available, travel agents have the resources needed to quickly rebook clients and reserve the next available seat.

o Travelers who book on their own either have to “roll the dice” by calling an 800-number or standing in a lengthy customer service line to try get rebooked. Using a travel agent can essentially move you to the “front of the line.”

3. We provide the facts so our clients can make an informed decision about their travel plans.

 We closely monitor the latest news and weather updates, as well as the U.S. Department of State website, for travel alerts and travel warnings for all destinations, including those that are most popular with our clients.

 Should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination, we alert clients who may be planning to travel there so they can determine for themselves if they still wish to travel.

 Also, should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination where a client is currently located, we try to immediately contact the client to check on their well-being and work to assist them if they require alternate travel arrangements.