Stuck in the path of Hurricane Irma? Here are key facts and contacts you need
Largest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history expected to hit Turks and Caicos Thursday evening
If you've found yourself in the path of Hurricane Irma, or have planned to travel to affected areas, here is essential information you should keep on hand.
- Hurricane Irma flattens Caribbean islands, heads for Dominican Republic
- Florida prepares for Irma, thousands under evacuation orders
As of Thursday morning, Global Affairs Canada advises against all travel to the following countries and areas:
- British Virgin Islands.
- U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Turks and Caicos.
- Anguilla.
- Antigua and Barbuda.
- Montserrat.
- Saint Kitts and Nevis.
- Saint-Barthélemy.
- Guadeloupe.
- Saint Martin.
- Sint Maarten.
- Puerto Rico.
- Southeastern and central Bahamas.
- Haiti.
- Dominican Republic.
- Florida Keys.
They recommend avoiding non-essential travel, or exercising a high degree of caution to these areas:
- Northwestern Bahamas.
- Cuba.
You can find the most up-to-date travel advisories here.
Airline information
If your flight in or out of affected areas is with Air Canada, call 1-888-247-2262. The airline is rebooking certain flights free of charge until October.
For those flying with WestJet, call 1-888-937-8538 to rebook your flight. Those who booked with WestJet Vacations should call 1-877-737-7001. The airline has implemented "flexible change and cancel rules."
Sunwing has their hurricane policy in place for affected areas. They recommend checking with on-site representatives for information. The general line is 1-877-786-9464.
Air Transat's hurricane policy is in place for certain flights out of Florida, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Haiti. Their booking centre number is 1-866-322-6649.
Embassy and consulate contacts
Here are some key Canadian embassy and consulate numbers for affected areas:
- Dominican Republic: 809-262-3100
- Puerto Plata: 809-586-5761
- Punta Cana: 809-455-1730
- Turks and Caicos, Jamaica: 876-926-1500
- Bahamas: 242-393-2123 or 242-393-2124
- Cuba: +53-7-204-2516 or +53-7-204-7097
- Haiti: 509-2812-9000
- Miami, Florida Keys: 305-579-1600
If you need emergency assistance and can't reach an embassy, contact Global Affairs at 613-996-8885. You can call collect.
Have you been affected by Hurricane Irma? Email us.