Holy mackerel — I think the storm gods are mad at us!

We’re barely into hurricane season and have already experienced Gustav and are currently bracing for Hannah, Ike and Josephine. August and early September were generally considered the fringe months of hurricane season when historically fewer hurricanes occur.

October, November and early December have traditionally been the biggest threat months. The weather in general throughout the world has changed dramatically and it’s as though Mother Nature wants to show us who is boss.

Weather patterns wreck havoc on the travel and tourism business. Add weather-related problems to the already dismal state of the airline industry with overbooked, cancelled and delayed flights, and long-anticipated vacation plans can be turned upside down.

People are reluctant to go on a cruise or a land vacation in the Caribbean because of hurricanes. There has never been a loss of life or serious injury reported due to hurricanes on modern cruise ships. Land resorts have actually had a very small number of injuries resulting from hurricanes over decades.

We have had some experience with hurricanes. We have been on ships on the fringe of hurricanes with little noticeable effect. Mega-ships today have stabilizers and other technology to minimize the impact of inclement weather. While living in Florida in the mid-1980s, we went through Hurricane Elena. While the awesome force of nature can be frightening, if you are prepared, follow the instructions of public safety personnel and, if necessary, evacuate to a safer location, you survive just fine.

Carol and I were in Puerto Vallarta on a personal vacation a few years ago when a hurricane struck. While our intent was to just have a relaxing week on the beach, it was definitely anything but. That being said, we actually enjoyed that vacation a lot because once the hurricane passed, it was absolutely amazing to see the response and how hard the locals worked to get things put back together. Tourists pitched in to help as though they lived there. It was fascinating to watch and be part of. We explored areas we probably wouldn’t have seen by the local “blue buses,” which are inexpensive. Many times we had no idea where we were going, but were confident if the bus went there, it would surely go back to where we started at some point.

What an adventure. We went for three days in our third floor room with no electricity, using candlelight and no hot water. The entire first floor of the unit had been damaged by water and sand, and much of the furniture had been washed out to sea. The swimming pool was totally filled with sand and looked like a beach. One thing is for sure: If you are flexible and adaptable, whatever your circumstance, it will be as good or bad as you make it.

One of the things that always stuck with me from that experience was the number of tourists who engaged in stupid reckless behavior that put them at risk at the height of the storm. If they had gotten hurt or killed, they would have had no one to blame but themselves.

If you are concerned about hurricanes, consider the following.

• Hurricanes never arrive by surprise. Both cruise ships and land resorts have time to plan, evacuate and secure premises to ensure the safety of passengers and guests. That is their number one goal. Today’s cruise ships feature the most technologically advanced weather forecasting systems and equipment available, allowing officers and company officials to detect weather-related disturbances in advance. Ships are completely mobile and able to alter, cancel, shorten or extend ship itineraries to keep passengers safe in instances of threatening weather. Staying in port during a hurricane is never an option.

• A ship is much safer at sea, where she has room for maneuvering. A hurricane’s tremendous wind can cause the moorings to break and push a ship aground or against another vessel in the harbor. Another threat is ocean surge, which may come with a hurricane. Ships work around port closures caused by severe weather conditions. In the event that ports are closed, cruise lines can use nearby alternative ports.

• Travelers should monitor appropriate Web sites for itinerary or other changes prior to departing. You can find a direct link to the National Hurricane Center on our Web site at www.worldvoyagervacations.com. In your cruise contract, the captain of the vessel always has the right to modify or cancel any part of the cruise itinerary for safety reasons.

• While cruise companies and land resorts are in the business of selling vacations, the safety and security of guests and employees is their primary concern. In all circumstances, they take extraordinary efforts to provide a safe and fulfilling vacation experience. Because they have been through it before, they generally have very good plans in place for dealing with these situations.

• I can’t overstate how important it is to include travel protection insurance in your vacation planning, as there are so many factors over which you have absolutely no control. Travel insurance assumes additional significance in instances of severe weather. Airline flight delays, which are covered in policies, are most often the critical factor when travelers experience problems reaching their ship or destination.

• In the rare instance a cruise or resort vacation is cancelled by the vendor due to weather-related circumstances, many of them offer the opportunity to enjoy a future vacation within a reasonable time period at no cost or limited additional cost. Be sure to ask about those policies at the time of booking.

Federal Way resident Jerry Vaughn is president of World Voyager Vacations: jvaughn@

worldvoyagervacations.com