US braced for Hurricane Florence
Hurricane Florence continues its path towards the East Coast of the US, with forecasters reportedly expecting that the storm could reach Category 5 strength. As of yesterday, winds of up to 130 miles per hour were being recorded, with Florence likely to be the strongest hurricane to strike the Carolinas in as many as three decades. One million people have begun evacuation proceedings from Florida; landfall is expected late Thursday or early Friday.
“Florence is still a Category 4 hurricane,” said the US Hurricane Center. “Re-strengthening is forecast to occur during the next day or so, and Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane Thursday night.”
The hurricane has already disrupted many people’s travel plans, with Allianz Travel Insurance reporting that it had already received 750 related claims by 11 September, as well as fielding over 140 calls from customers seeking advice and support.
“Travellers who are impacted by Florence should contact their travel suppliers before they cancel their trip,” advised Daniel Durazo, Director of Communications at Allianz Global Assistance USA. “Many travel suppliers, including airlines and hotels, are waiving change fees to allow rescheduling without penalty. Travel insurance policies purchased before 6 September, when the storm was named, may include coverage for trip cancellations, trip interruptions and travel delays that are caused by the upcoming storm. Our travel assistance department is available 24/7 to assist customers with almost any travel-related problem.”