It’s been a week since Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm Thursday, Sept. 26, and started her devastating path up through the southeastern U.S.
The storm deluged areas in western Florida’s Gulf Coast and Panhandle, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and regions of Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia with record-breaking rainfalls. The resulting flooding decimated many parts of the region. At this time, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia have all qualified for “Major Disaster Declaration” status, which provides federal disaster assistance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
If you have travel plans to visit any of these areas, it’s important to know that you might not be able to visit not just in the immediate future but also for an extended period while recovery and cleanup continue.
Here’s a guide on what to do if you have a trip planned to the southeast U.S., including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, western North Carolina, southwest Virginia or eastern Tennessee.
Is it safe to travel to the southeast US?
Western North Carolina
“Catastrophic” is the word being used most often to describe the storm situation in western North Carolina and the region encompassing Buncombe County, which includes the city of Asheville as well as large sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway. According to The Washington Post, the Swannanoa River, which traverses Asheville’s historic Biltmore Village, “reached a record high level of 26 feet on Friday afternoon, surpassing the last major flooding event, in 2004, by more than 6 feet.”
“We don’t want you here unless you are directly helping with the response,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told the Asheville Citizen Times on Oct. 3. He was referring to any potential tourists contemplating a visit to the region as it heads into what would have been its peak tourism season for fall foliage.
The region is still experiencing road closures, power and cellphone service outages, and shortages of water, food and gas.
Visit North Carolina, the tourism arm of the North Carolina government, updated its statement on its website Oct. 4. “Visitors should call their travel provider to confirm alternative travel plans, including reservations with lodging providers, and heed any guidance from local officials. If you cannot reach your travel provider, you should consider them to be unavailable and delay your trip until you have confirmation they are open and ready to welcome visitors,” the statement reads.
Though travelers should avoid the mountains in western North Carolina, the tourism board did say that the several less impacted areas are “ready and welcoming visitors, including the counties of Cherokee (Murphy area), Clay (Hayesville area), Graham (Robbinsville area), Macon (Franklin and Highlands area) and Swain (Bryson City area).”
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Eastern Tennessee
Areas of eastern Tennessee, including Knoxville, have been affected by flooding. A portion of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee-North Carolina border was washed away, as were a number of bridges in the area. As of Oct. 4, the Tennessee Department of Transportation has an urgent notice on its website that says, “All roads in Upper East [Tennessee] should be considered potentially hazardous, and motorists should avoid traveling in these areas.”
(Note that while Nashville and Memphis both received record-setting rainfalls, both are accessible and open for tourism.)
Several areas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park remain closed, including Newfound Gap Road/U.S. Route 441, Kuwohi Road (formerly known as Clingmans Dome Road) and the Cataloochee Valley area.
The National Park Service continues to assess conditions in the park following the storm. The NPS updated its website Sept. 30 to say: “While parts of the national park are open, outdoor recreation is currently discouraged due to park staffing being stretched and visitor safety concerns. However, Sevier County, which includes Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville, is fully open to those who can access the county through safe routes. We are working hard to get all major park roads open to the public as soon as possible.”
Florida
According to the state’s official tourism website, Visit Florida, “Hurricane Helene was a very large storm, impacting an extensive swath of Florida.” As such, it has provided a list of resources to check with specific areas. The Tampa area as well as Sarasota and its barrier islands were especially hard hit.
The Sarasota government updated its website on Oct. 1 to say: “Lido Beach is CLOSED. Beachgoers and ‘disaster tourists’ are slowing down and impeding our storm recovery efforts. There are no restrooms, concessions, lifeguards, or other amenities. There may be seen and unseen hazards on the beach. Please stay off the beach and allow City staff to continue with recovery efforts in the area.”
While Tampa Bay International Airport (TPA), St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) are all open, it’s best to check with your hotel directly before going.
Georgia
As of Oct. 2, Gov. Brian Kemp declared a Major Disaster Declaration for 41 Georgia counties affected by Hurricane Helene, so residents can apply for assistance. However, airports are open, and many services are available. The city of Atlanta lifted its boil-water order on Oct. 1.
As the state continues to clean up after the storm, the tourism board, Explore Georgia, recommends contacting your hotel directly about existing reservations.
South Carolina
Many parts of western South Carolina, including Greenville, were without power after the storm. But Duke Energy brought in nearly 2,000 additional workers and “has committed to having power restored to all by Oct. 4,” according to the Greenville government’s website.
“Due to power outages from Hurricane Helene, Welcome Centers in Landrum and North Augusta are closed until further notice. For impacted state parks, please go to SouthCarolinaParks.com to get the latest information about park closures or if you need to cancel/modify a campsite or cabin reservation,” the official tourism website of the state, Discover South Carolina, advises travelers.
Southwest Virginia
Towns in southwest Virginia along the Tennessee and North Carolina border, including Damascus and Galax, experienced flooding and other storm-related damage.
“For visitors planning to travel to or through the southwestern region of Virginia in the coming weeks, please be aware there are some areas without power or phone service, and you may encounter closed roads and storm debris along the way,” the Virginia tourism board’s website said Oct. 4. “Anyone traveling in these areas should confirm their travel plans to ensure their desired destinations and attractions are able to welcome visitors. Visitors should plan driving routes in advance using the 511 Virginia resource from the Virginia Department of Transportation.”
The full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed in both Virginia and North Carolina due to storm damage; Shenandoah National Park is open, though.
When will the Southeast reopen after Hurricane Helene?
All of the affected states are currently in the midst of assessing and mitigating damage while simultaneously waiting for electric and water services to be fully restored.
PowerOutage.us reports that just over 700,000 people across the Southeast are currently without power as of Oct. 4 (down from nearly 1.8 million people on Monday).
Airlines allowing changes to flights in the southeast
Alaska Airlines
As of Oct. 4, Alaska Airlines is offering a flexible travel policy to and from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) for tickets purchased on or before Sept. 23, for travel dates between Sept. 26 and Oct. 4.
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines has no current travel advisories.
American Airlines
As of Oct. 3, American Airlines is waiving change fees for flights to, through or from Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) and Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) for tickets purchased by Sept. 28 for travel between Sept. 29 and Oct. 31.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines has no current travel advisories, but always allows ticket changes without penalty.
Delta Air Lines
Delta is offering rebooking options for a large number of airports and destinations in the southeast U.S., Mexico and Caribbean, including all Atlanta flights. However, changes must be made by Oct. 4.
United Airlines
United is allowing fee-free changes to flights to and from Asheville through the end of October.
What to do if you have a hotel or Airbnb booked in the southeast
If you made a reservation directly with a hotel, first check its website and see if it has posted any updates. You can also call the main reservations number. Keep in mind many phones may not be working, and properties may likely be managing the crisis, so calling the property directly should be a last option.
If you booked through a third-party online travel agency or aggregator like Expedia or Travelocity, it’s important to understand the cancellation policy. The OTA still owns your reservation prior to your travel, so contacting the hotel directly will likely result in you being referred back to the OTA or travel portal for assistance.
“For impacted hotels available on Expedia and Hotels.com, we’re waiving cancellation policies and sharing guidance with our travelers who have affected trips,” says the company. Vrbo, which is part of the Expedia Group, activated its extenuating circumstances policy which “protects travelers who can’t complete their trips due to large-scale travel disruptions, including some natural disasters. When activated, Vrbo hosts must provide full refunds for impacted reservations regardless of their cancellation policy.” Vrbo extended the policy Oct. 2 to cover bookings in Henderson County, North Carolina; Buncombe County, North Carolina; Transylvania County, North Carolina; and Greenville County, South Carolina between Oct. 3 and 9.
For those travelers who booked accommodations with Airbnb, the company has activated its major disruptive events policy for parts of the southeast. Eligible guests with reservations will receive a full refund, and both hosts and guests can cancel bookings penalty-free, the company said. (Airbnb.org is also offering free, temporary housing for people who have been displaced from their homes by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and Florida.)
What to do if you have a cruise leaving from Florida
For cruise passengers, it’s important to understand the cancellation or rebooking policy for the specific cruise line you will be traveling on.
Currently, there are no cruise port closures in the affected areas. However, cruise lines might need to reroute to avoid areas experiencing storms or their aftermath. As TPG’s cruise team has reported, per the terms of the cruise contract to which you consent before sailing, cruise lines do not owe you compensation if they alter your itinerary. If the line makes changes, you will be refunded for any shore excursions you booked through the cruise line that were to take place in the ports you’re skipping. (Check with your tour provider directly if you’ve booked a third-party excursion.)
TPG’s guide on what happens if a cruise gets canceled is the next place to refer to for guidance if you receive notice that your cruise is canceled.
Related: What happens if my cruise line changes my itinerary or ship?
Will your credit card or trip insurance cover changes?
If you purchased travel insurance before Helene became a named storm, you should be able to recoup most of your travel expenses. Unfortunately, if you purchased a policy after the storm was named, it’s too late to buy travel insurance.
“Insurance covers the unexpected,” Jenna Hummer, public relations director of Squaremouth (a company that provides comparisons of travel insurance from major U.S. providers), said. “So once something is considered ‘foreseen’ — in this case, when a tropical storm or hurricane has been named — you can no longer get coverage for that storm.”
“Trip cancellation and trip interruption will reimburse lost or unused prepaid, nonrefundable expenses due to a hurricane making it impossible to get to your destination,” Stan Sandberg, cofounder of TravelInsurance.com, said. “Many plans will also provide coverage if there is a mandatory evacuation at the destination. A few plans will even provide coverage in the event there is a NOAA hurricane warning at your destination during your trip dates.”
Trip delay coverage will reimburse you for unexpected travel costs such as food, transportation, internet service and lodging when your flight is delayed for an extended period of time.
Related: Top travel mistakes to avoid during hurricane season
“Remember that your credit card won’t cover anything not purchased on that card,” Hummer said, regarding trip insurance that’s part of a credit card’s benefits. “So, if you haven’t paid for your whole trip with that card or other people in your group used another payment method, you won’t be fully covered.”
TPG has a comprehensive guide on credit cards that include trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and what might be covered in a natural disaster.
Related: 4 times your credit card’s travel insurance can help with travel woes, and 7 times it won’t
How to help support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts
If you’d like to help those in the storm’s path, there are several options to explore:
Bottom line
Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented rain and devastation across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. The cleanup is just beginning and will continue for quite some time. If you have plans to travel to the area, check ahead to see if your accommodations are still open and if the area you’re hoping to visit has power and running water. It may be prudent to delay or cancel your plans until a future date.
For more helpful tips on navigating travel during hurricane season, read:
Additional reporting by Lyndsey Matthews.