As Hurricane Irma carves a path of devastation through the Caribbean toward southern Florida, Global Affairs Canada is warning Canadians to avoid all travel to several affected destinations, including more than a dozen island nations in the region.

Countries and regions included in the advisories on Friday included:

  • Florida’s peninsula, including the Florida Keys
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Haiti’s north coast
  • The Dominican Republic’s north coast
  • The Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus and VillaClara
  • Bahamas
  • Puerto Rico
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Virgin Islands (U.S.)
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Anguilla
  • Montserrat
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Martin
  • Sint Maarten
  • Saint-Barthelemy

Global Affairs also warned Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to the following regions:

  • Central Florida
  • Georgia’s coast
  • The Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, Las Tunas and Matanzas

The agency also warned that, due to Hurricane Katia, travellers should avoid Mexico’s Gulf Coast, from Cabo Rojo to Laguna Verde.

Contact information for embassies and consulates

For those who remain in the path of the storm, Canadian embassies and consulates can be contacted at the following numbers:

Miami/Florida Keys: 305-579-1600

Cuba: +53-7-204-2516 or +53-7-204-7097

Dominican Republic: 809-262-3100

Punta Cana: 809-455-1730

Bahamas: 242-393-2123 or 242-393-2124

Puerto Plata: 809-586-5761

Jamaica/Turks and Caicos: 876-926-1500

Haiti: 509-2812-9000

Puerto Rico: 787-759-6629

Anguilla/Barbados: 246-629-3550

Travel information

Airlines and travel companies have been working around the clock to bring Canadian travellers home ahead of the storm, and several have instituted flexible policies for those looking to reschedule their vacations.

Air Canada has cancelled all flights to and from Miami and Fort Lauderdale from Friday until Monday. The airline has put a “goodwill policy” in place that allows travellers affected by Irma to reschedule flights free of charge. 

WestJet says it has put “flexible” cancelation and flight change policies in place for travellers with bookings to several countries hit by Irma.

Sunwing has issued several special advisories for travellers. In Cuba, travellers are being moved from the islands of Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria to Veradero, where additional flights will be transporting them home.

Air Transat says it is running a “rescue operation” and helping bring travellers home who are in Irma’s path. So-called “rescue flights” from Orlando and Fort Lauderdale have been scheduled for Friday and Saturday, heading to Toronto and Montreal.