Storm Boris leads to worst flooding in 20 years in Europe – Travel Weekly

Storm Boris has put travellers on alert as fierce weather conditions continue to pound parts of Europe.

The powerful storm has injured dozens and killed at least 23 people in central Europe’s “worst flooding in two decades”. The storm has now hit Italy, forcing thousands to evacuate as severe weather batters the north-east and central regions.

Meanwhile, catastrophic wildfires have struck Portugal, leading to the death of seven people and injuring another 40.

While Smartraveller has not raised its travel advice for Europe, it calls for travellers to “avoid flood-affected areas, monitor the media and follow the advice of local authorities”.

Comparetravelinsurance.com.au managing director Natalie Ball said that major natural disasters reinforce the need for travel insurance.

“Extreme weather events, such as Storm Boris, highlight the unpredictable nature of travel,” Ball said. “The possibility that your plans may be disrupted by a natural disaster or unexpected weather event is a reality. We urge travellers to secure travel insurance as soon as they’ve booked their trip to ensure they are sufficiently covered for trip cancellations and disruptions”.

Ball pointed out that the looming threat of natural disasters has cast a shadow on traveller confidence.

“Mother Nature doesn’t discriminate and is keeping more travellers up at night compared to previous years. According to our data, a whopping 86 per cent of travellers rank trip cancellation and deposit loss coverage as a top priority – after medical mishaps.”

Cover explained: natural disasters, known events, cut off dates

Whether it’s floods, fires, hurricanes or heatwaves, cover for unforeseen natural disasters is exactly what travel insurance is for, Ball said.

“Travellers stranded or impacted by major weather events would be covered by comprehensive travel insurance, provided they were not aware of the event at the time of purchase. Covered travellers would be eligible to claim for cancellation and delay costs incurred, along with any additional expenses such as accommodation and alternative transport fees.”

However, those affected by a natural disaster would only have provision to make a claim if they had a travel insurance policy prior to it being considered a “known” event.

A weather event is generally considered to be ‘known’ once it is publicly named and warned against. Insurers usually place cut off dates for an event once it is known and will no longer cover that specific event.

For instance, given that news of Storm Boris became widespread around the 17h of September, travel insurers such as Cover More, Medibank, 1Cover and Zoom Travel Insurance placed a travel alert close to or on the 17th of September, restricting cover for claims associated to that event.

“Thanks to early warning systems, nowadays there is advanced notice for most major weather events. Once travellers get wind of events, they often rush out to buy cover, but sometimes it’s too late. Depending on your insurer, purchase cut-off dates for cover will vary,” Ball noted.

“As Storm Boris warnings hit the media on 14 September and became widespread by the 17th of September, cover for any claims related to that specific event may be restricted. While your claim will always be considered on an individual basis, it would be reasonable to assume you would have been aware of the storm risk after that date.”

Ball said buying travel insurance as soon as you’ve booked your airline ticket is always a good idea.

“Surprisingly, many travellers are unaware that travel insurers will not provide cover for events that are known. Given the unpredictable nature of global travel events, it’s always better to buy travel insurance well in advance.”

Travel insurance- your trip essential

Ball emphasised the importance of travel insurance, particularly during times of crisis.

“Without travel insurance, you run the risk of accumulating significant debts in a foreign country without adequate support and assistance. When in doubt, remember Smartraveller’s words of wisdom; ‘If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel!’”

Feature image: Al Jazeera on YouTube