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Natural Disaster Travel Insurance Plans

Learn how travel insurance may help Canadian travellers dealing with hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and more

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At a glance

  • When nature gets wild: World Nomads offers single trip and annual multi-trip plans that include travel insurance for natural disasters
  • Coverage for major natural disasters: Disasters such as earthquakes, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, blizzards, and volcanic eruptions may be covered
  • Getting to safety: Security evacuation benefits may help you get to a safe place if you experience a severe natural disaster in your destination
  • Medical support, if needed: You may be covered for emergency medical expenses if you’re seriously injured
  • Plans, disrupted: Additional coverage may be included if you need to cancel, delay, or interrupt your trip due to a natural disaster

Why should you consider travel insurance for natural disasters?

According to data from the Canadian Government, Canadian residents make about 32 million annual visits to countries that are potentially impacted by hurricanes. That’s only one natural disaster that can occur when you’re travelling, though. What happens if you get hurt during an earthquake in Japan or you aren’t able to travel to Vietnam because floods have washed out your hotel?

Travel insurance for natural disasters may help in a variety of ways. If a covered natural disaster makes your destination uninhabitable, causing you to cancel your trip, you may be reimbursed for your unused, prepaid, non-refundable trip costs such as airfare, hotels, and tours. If you’re already travelling and face a severe natural disaster, you need to leave and get to a safe place – and security evacuation benefits (included in the Explorer, Epic, and Annual Multi-Trip plans) may help.

If you get hurt, emergency medical expenses resulting from the disaster may be covered. You will still need to have coverage through your Government Health Insurance Plan in your home province while you’re on your trip, though. If you don’t, your total limit for all emergency medical expenses during your trip is limited to $40,000 CAD.

Natural Disasters That May Be Covered

  • Earthquakes
  • Floods (due to natural causes) 
  • Tsunamis 
  • Wildfires
  • Hurricanes
  • Typhoons 
  • Tornadoes
  • Mudslides/Landslides
  • Avalanches 
  • Blizzards
  • Sandstorms 
  • Sinkholes 
  • Volcanic eruptions

Exclusions

  • Storm-chasing activities
  • Natural disasters already forecast at the time you purchased your plan
  • Meteorites, asteroids, and man-made space debris
  • Travel within your home province
  • Expenses outside of the limits, terms, and conditions of coverage stated in your policy documents 

Maximum Limits

Standard PlanExplorer PlanEpic PlanAnnual Plan

Emergency Medical Expenses: Up to $1,500,000

Security Evacuation: Not Available 

Trip Cancellation: Up to $2,500



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Emergency Medical Expenses: Up to $5,000,000 

Security Evacuation: Up to $50,000

Trip Cancellation: Up to $10,000



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Emergency Medical Expenses: Up to $10,000,000 

Security Evacuation: Up to $100,000

Trip Cancellation: Up to $15,000



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Emergency Medical Expenses: Up to $5,000,000 

Security Evacuation: Up to $50,000

Trip Cancellation: Up to $10,000



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What should I do if there’s a natural disaster while I’m travelling outside of Canada? 

It’s one thing if a rainy day washes out your trekking expedition in Mexico, but what if a hurricane blows the roof off your hotel? If you’re faced with a natural disaster when you’re travelling outside of Canada, make sure you follow these steps.

  • If you find yourself away from home and dealing with a natural disaster, first make sure you and your travel partners are somewhere safe.
  • Reach out to the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team to let them know what happened. If you need medical care, they may help direct you to a place where you can get the care you need.
  • Continue to monitor the weather and developing situation if you have access to a radio, television, or mobile device.
  • You can start a claim for your natural disaster travel insurance benefits, but you’ll want to make sure you have all of your documentation to submit. This includes things such as proof of all non-refundable, prepaid deposits or payments, original receipts for any expenses incurred because of the natural disaster, a written statement from your medical team, etc.

Travel Safety Tips 

As travellers ourselves, we’ve dealt with weather situations when travelling. We’ve also had to cancel trips because of natural disasters that put a halt to our plans. We’ve learned a few things along the way and these are a few of our personal tips.

  • Do your research and check out the Canadian government’s safety warningsfor your destination before travelling. You can see if there are any natural disasters that your destination is prone to, such as volcanoes, flooding, tsunamis, wildfires, and more. This is also where they list any current travel advisories.
  • Register with Canadians Abroad to stay updated on emergency situations.
  • Plan the timing of your trip appropriately. If you know that hurricane season runs from June through November in the Caribbean, you may want to plan your trip to the Bahamas outside of that window.
  • Share your travel plans with family or friends back home so that someone knows where you are in case a natural disaster strikes your destination.
  • Even with thorough planning, a natural disaster can happen at any time. Consider getting a quote for travel insurance for natural disasters.
  • If you purchase a plan, keep a copy of it saved in your phone. It’s also helpful to save the phone number for the 24/7 Emergency Assistance team and have that easily accessible as well.
  • Since natural disasters have the potential of knocking out cell service and electricity, have a printed copy of your plan too just in case you aren’t able to use your phone.
  • Save all receipts for everything you’ve purchased for your trip. If there’s a natural disaster and you need to make a claim, you’ll need to provide that documentation, as well as information about the actual disaster.

FAQ

Here are our most frequently asked questions about cover for natural disasters. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Help Center or you can ask the customer service team.

  • What qualifies as a natural disaster?

    A natural disaster is a natural event that causes destruction or loss. Some examples include:

    • Earthquakes
    • Floods (due to natural causes) 
    • Tsunamis 
    • Wildfires
    • Hurricanes
    • Typhoons 
    • Tornadoes
    • Mudslides/Landslides
    • Avalanches 
    • Blizzards
    • Sandstorms 
    • Sinkholes 
    • Volcanic eruptions
  • Can I cancel my trip because I’m scared of a potential hurricane?

    If a travel advisory is issued for your destination by the Government of Canada, or the appropriate authority of your destination country, advising travellers not to go there, your trip cancellation travel insurance benefits may reimburse you for unused, prepaid, non-refundable expenses such as unused hotel accommodations, airfare, and tours.

    If there’s no advisory, though, you won’t be able to make a claim just because you’re scared. However, the optional ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ coverage allows you to receive a partial reimbursement for unused, prepaid, non-refundable expenses that you paid for in advance when you cancel your trip for any reason at all – even if you’re scared and don’t want to go.

    The ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ travel insurance benefit isn’t automatically included, but it’s an optional add-on you can select if you purchase the Epic or Explorer plan within 15 days of paying the first deposit on your trip. With ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ coverage, benefits may be paid for up to 50% (up to policy limits) of prepaid, unused, forfeited, non-refundable deposits and payments you made towards your cancelled trip, as long as you cancel your trip at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure date listed on your policy certificate.

This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical, legal, insurance, or travel advice and provides only a general summary of certain features that may be available under applicable travel insurance policies. Coverage is subject to the specific terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and pre-existing condition provisions of the applicable insurance policy. In the event of any inconsistency between this article and the wording of any insurance policy, the policy wording shall govern and take precedence. It is important that you read and understand your policy before travelling. If you have questions about your coverage or are unsure how your policy applies to your circumstances, please contact us for clarification.

Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you

Trip Cancellation

Insurance protection for your hard earned vacation in the event of unexpected cancellation.

  • Standard Plan: $2,500
  • Explorer Plan: $10,000
  • Epic Plan: $15,000
  • AMT Plan: $10,000
Trip Protection
  • Unexpectedly hospitalized?
  • Travel buddy unfit to travel?
  • Close relative suddenly dies?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Medical Insurance

Help take the pain out of medical or dental costs.

  • Standard Plan: $1,500,000
  • Explorer Plan: $5,000,000
  • Epic Plan: $10,000,000
  • Annual Plan: $5,000,000
Emergency Medical Insurance
  • Need meds quick?
  • Accidentally injured?
  • Suddenly sick?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation

We’ll get you to hospital or home quickly.

  • Standard Plan: $250,000
  • Explorer Plan: $500,000
  • Epic Plan: $750,000
  • Annual Plan: $500,000
Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation
  • Banged up abroad?
  • Need a hospital urgently?
  • Medevac home?

Help starts here.

Gear & Baggage Protection

Coverage for the theft, damage or delay of your bags, tech and sports gear.

  • Standard Plan: $1,000
  • Explorer Plan: $2,000
  • Epic Plan: $5,000
  • Annual Plan: $2,000
Protect your gear
  • Passport or tech stolen?
  • Airline lost your gear?
  • Bags delayed?

Help starts here.

Protect your health

  • Emergency Medical & Dental Expenses
  • Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation
  • Bedside Companion Travel and Subsistence
  • Emergency Professional Services
  • Return of Remains
  • Return of Travel Companion/Dependent Children

Protect your trip

  • Trip Cancellation
  • Trip Interruption
  • Trip Delay
  • Optional Cancel for Any Reason (Explorer or Epic)
  • Trip Exchange (Explorer, Epic or AMT)
  • Rental Vehicle Damage (Explorer, Epic or AMT)

Protect your stuff

  • Baggage and Personal Effects Theft or Damage
  • Baggage and Sporting Equipment Delay
  • Travel Documents Theft or Damage
  • Sporting Equipment Theft or Loss by a Common Carrier
  • Covered Adventure Sports listed in Policy

Assistance Services

  • 24/7 Worldwide Emergency Medical Assistance
  • Worldwide Travel Assistance
  • Personal Security Assistance
  • Adventure Traveller’s Hotline
  • Bag Trak
This is a general summary for Canadian residents only. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions of the travel insurance plans described. Coverage may not be available for residents of all provinces. Check the Travel Insurance Policy for full details.