Information gathering when traveling

Marp · ‎03-09-2010

I have been following coverage of hurricane Melissa. There were several interviews with tourists stuck in Jamaica, including one woman, a Katrina survivor, that was close to panic.

The coverage and the interviews prompted a question--when traveling (domestic or foreign) how much attention do you pay to weather and news reports?

The Jamaica tourists had information about the severity of the pending storm for more than a week before it became too late to leave the area yet it seems the ones interviewed were caught off guard when the airports closed.

Perhaps I'm unusual but when I travel I do a news and weather check once or twice a day.

What is good for the goose today will also be good for the gander tomorrow.

wagirl · ‎03-09-2010

If I were a traveler--I certainly would want to know about all things weather related, no matter the time of year. Fortunately for me, I have never traveled far and have no desire to travel in the future.

AuntG · ‎03-09-2010

Even on the short trips we take, I always pull up the forecast for the area. It must be awful for those stranded by Melissa.

rockygems123 · ‎06-04-2012

@Marp

Working for 2 different airlines - on the ground not as a flight attendant - you check travel conditions constantly domestically and internationally.

Sometimes there are surprises but most of the time there is ample warning.

Mother nature has a mind of her own however even with warnings Mt St Helens eruption comes to mind.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Marp wrote:
I have been following coverage of hurricane Melissa. There were several interviews with tourists stuck in Jamaica, including one woman, a Katrina survivor, that was close to panic.

The coverage and the interviews prompted a question--when traveling (domestic or foreign) how much attention do you pay to weather and news reports?

The Jamaica tourists had information about the severity of the pending storm for more than a week before it became too late to leave the area yet it seems the ones interviewed were caught off guard when the airports closed.

Perhaps I'm unusual but when I travel I do a news and weather check once or twice a day.

@Marp I was a tornado victim at a young age. I check weather frequently when we are traveling and plan around that. I check the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center Convective Outlook several times especially when we travelin the spring.

We've gotten up at o'dark thirty several times to start home from the east coast to make it far enought west to get around a front before it fires storms later in the day. Husband is used to it. Trust me, you do NOT want to run into a tornato on the highway. Bad bad idea.

kaydee50 · ‎02-07-2011

We always check the weather wherever we are. Hurricane predictions are usually far in advance so there's plenty of time to evacuate. If you don't, your choice.

tansy · ‎01-02-2011

When we were on the road during our snowbird years, I certainly checked the weather conditions.

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

We are always conscious when traveling. Storms can be so unpredictable, but you have to be ready to change your plans.

Years ago we were leaving DH's parents after Thanksgiving. We stopped to say goodbye to his one sister and her family, and she talked us into staying for lunch. After lunch while we were cleaning up, I noticed DH and his BIL staring at the TV. A bad snowstorm had changed direction and was heading right to an area we would be traveling through to get home. We stayed, and started to make phone calls telling our coworkers.

DS lives in a hurricane-prone area. A few years ago one was coming. Wednesday it was Category 3; by Friday it was Category 5. He had no car at the time, and he was in the process of moving to a new apartment that weekend. No planes were leaving. The whole experience was a nightmare.

Pittfanatic · ‎02-17-2024

Yes, we always check the weather reports. We have homes on both coasts of Florida so this time of year we are glued to the weather channel to make sure there is nothing out there that might affect us. If we are going out of town for more than two weeks during hurricane season, we close our hurricane shutters and bring everything in just in case. I would have never gone to Jamaica with that storm out there. We have cancelled more than one vacation for that very reason. That is why you buy trip insurance.