Operators on alert as Hurricane Matthew heads towards US
Cruise and airlines are continuing to monitor the progress of Hurricane Matthew as the category four storm heads towards the Bahamas and looks set to hit the US.
Florida has been told to prepare for a ‘direct hit’, possibly by Thursday night, by the state’s governor Rick Scott, while one million people in South Carolina have been told they may have to evacuate unless the hurricane changes path.
Matthew is the most ferocious storm to hit the Caribbean in almost a decade and its winds of 148mph have left a trail of devastation across the Caribbean, killing 11 people so far.
So far, five people have died in Haiti, four in Dominican Republic, one in Colombia and another in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The storm forced Thomas Cook to reroute holidaymakers flying in and out of Holguin airport in Cuba to Cayo Coco yesterday and the airline is monitoring the situation for its next service to the island, tomorrow.
Thomson delayed flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Tuesday as a precaution.
Matthew is expected to hit the Bahamas over the next two days and could hit the US coast after that.
Yesterday, TravelMole reported holidaymakers in the Turks and Caicos Islands are being urged to leave, if they can, as Hurricane Matthew approaches.
Cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess Cruises and Disney have all made changes to their Bahamas itineraries and have cancelled some ports of call.
Contingency plans are also being put into place in case Matthew hits Florida cruise ports later this week and US airlines are waiving change fees.
AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski warned: "Cruise, freight and charter airline interests should be prepared to change itineraries until the storm has passed.
"Commercial airline delays and cancellations are likely as the storm approaches. Some airports will close."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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