About Hurricanes
MESSAGE FOR U.S. CITIZENS
Dated June 4, 2012
Hurricane Season
The U.S. Consulate General in Merida reminds Americans that June 1 to November 30 is hurricane season.
Be Prepared
Americans who are thinking about going to places that suffer from hurricanes should be aware of the chance of a storm and make a plan in case of emergency. Even inland areas far from the coastline can experience destructive winds, tornadoes, and floods from tropical storms and hurricanes. In the event of a tropical storm or hurricane, the Consulate will send out a warden message and monitor the storm's track, issuing updated messages to Americans who have registered with us. The Department of State may also issue a Travel Alert or Travel Warning to apprise the American traveling public of the situation.
Please take this time to check your travel documents and those of your family members to assure that all U.S. passports are still valid and that any non-American family members have valid Legal Permanent Resident cards or U.S. visas. You may need to travel to the U.S. on short notice and would not want to be stuck without valid travel documents.
Your Checklist:
- Prior to leaving the United States, register your travel plans on the State Department’s travel registration website.
- Check with your tour operator, airline, or charter flight company (as appropriate) regarding travel services back to the U.S. in the event of a hurricane, and the possibility of early return if a storm is forecasted for your region.
- Obtain a cell phone that works internationally to stay in regular contact with family and friends in the U.S. and advise them of your whereabouts.
- Research the region you’re visiting and familiarize yourself with local procedures
- Pack an emergency supply kit (http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit).
- Keep extra bottled water and non-perishable food items on hand.
- Keep an up-to-date list of local emergency phone numbers, as well as contact numbers for the nearest U.S. Embassy, Consulate, or Consular Agency.
- Protect your vital travel documents from potential water damage by placing them in a waterproof container.
- Obtain travel insurance prior to your trip to cover unexpected expenses in the event of an emergency.
- Consider what arrangements you will make for your pets. Please note that the Mexican authorities and U.S. government do not make accommodations for, evacuation of, or care of pets in the event of a tropical storm, hurricane, etc.
- Leave a detailed itinerary and your local contact information with a friend or family member in the U.S.
- Make two photocopies of the passport identification page, airline tickets, driver’s license and the credit cards you plan to take. Leave one copy of each with family or friends at home, and pack the other copies separately from the originals. Leave a copy of the serial numbers of your travelers’ checks with a friend or relative at home.
- Monitor local websites. For Yucatan state, http://www.yucatan.gob.mx/procivy/. Quintana Roo (which includes the popular tourist areas of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Tulum), http://proteccioncivil.qroo.gob.mx/. Campeche, http://cenecam.gob.mx/pronosticopr.php.
Please visit the following websites for more information:
Mexico Country Specific Information: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.htm
Hurricane Season: “Know Before You Go”: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_2915.html
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
How to Contact Consulate Merida and the Consular Agencies in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel
http://merida.usconsulate.gov/service.html
You have received this message because your email address is registered with us. Please encourage your American citizen family, friends, and acquaintances visiting or residing in the Yucatan peninsula to do the same at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.
