What we can learn from Southeast Asia’s typhoon season in 2018
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Maria, Jongdari, Jebi, Mangkhut, Trami. These are the names of some of the most devasting typhoons to hit Southeast Asia in 2018. By now, you probably would have seen scenes of typhoons wreaking havoc across cities or read about them in the news. While most people typically attribute the occurrence of natural disasters during travel periods to bad luck, there is actually more than meets the eyes. Here are some important travel lessons we can learn from 2018’s typhoon season in Southeast Asia.
1. Typhoons can happen at any time of the year
The first typhoon (Jelawat) in 2018 took place in March, but typhoons developed most frequently from July to September. While this goes to show that there is no fixed ‘season’, it is still helpful to recognise the higher probability of typhoons occurring in the latter half of the year. Hence, if you’re planning a holiday between May and December, it would be wise to follow the weather forecast closely and have ample travel insurance coverage at hand.
2. Locations close to the sea are hit hardest by typhoons
Storm surges are especially common in the event of a typhoon. That means destinations located near the sea are more exposed to high and dangerous tides that can cause floods and destroy buildings. As Southeast Asia is often seen as a haven for pristine beaches and coasts, it may be a good idea to postpone your beach vacation to another date, especially if the infrastructure is not built to withstand typhoons and storm surges. Otherwise, you may want to consider countries in the region that is not affected by typhoons, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
3. Always be prepared with insurance at hand, especially in countries prone to natural disasters
In the event of natural disasters such as a typhoon, insurance will always provide you with some relief. That is because it can come into play in so many ways. For the locals, personal property such as houses and cars are often damaged during a typhoon. Having home and car insurance will thus help to alleviate repair costs to a large extent. For travellers, having a travel insurance plan will help to cover for flight delays, extra accommodation charges, and even injuries sustained during a trip. It is also important to know that coverage is only included for adverse weather conditions that have commenced or been announced after the date of purchase.
When a typhoon eventually subsides, it is common to find the extent of damage being reported in the news, with losses that can amount to billions of dollars.* For the individual, these losses can be lessened with good insurance plans in place.
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