Is it possible to insure against a hurricane in the Caribbean? I understand some hotels offer money-back guarantees. Susan Taylor, Manchester

Sunday Times travel expert, Mark Hodson, responds: If you're unlucky enough to be caught in a hurricane, your holiday could be wrecked, not least because if your hotel is judged to be at risk, you could be forced to sleep in a secure shelter along with dozens of other guests.

Insurance won't cover you for inconvenience, but should pay out if you are injured or your possessions damaged.

Some Caribbean hotels do offer "hurricane guarantees", and while you won't get your money back, there are benefits. Sandals offers a free replacement holiday valid for up to a year if any part of your stay is affected by a hurricane, and SuperClubs will give you a voucher for the number of disrupted nights, valid for the same month the following year. In both cases, the storm must be classified a hurricane by the US National Weather Service, and the cost of your flights won't be covered.

In Bermuda, hotels belonging to the Bermuda Hotel Association offer their own guarantee: if a hurricane is predicted to pass within 200 miles of the island within five days of your arrival, you can cancel without penalty. If you're hit by a hurricane, you'll get a replacement holiday. Again, without flights though.

One of the best ways to protect yourself is simply to book a package with a bonded tour operator. Rather than fly you into a storm, it will offer you an alternative destination or a refund.

In the event of severe weather, tour operators may arrange evacuation. When Hurricane Wilma devastated the Gulf of Mexico in 2005, tour operators airlifted home thousands of British holidaymakers and gave them pro-rata refunds for the portions of their holidays lost or disrupted.

Explore Travel

• Travel News

• Where To Stay

• Your Say

• Business Travel

• Best of Britain

• Travel Images

• Good Spa Guide

Times recommends

• Win a Zeppelin flight over London
• A first timer's guide to... Morocco
• The budget guide to the French Riviera