Hurricane Hillary has made landfall overnight on the West Coast, bringing significant rainfall and risk of flooding to Southern California. It has now been downgraded to a Tropical Storm.    

The storm is currently tracking through Nevada and onwards towards Oregon. Significant rainfall is still expected, and flood watches are in place in many areas.  Road closures may also come into effect over the next 48 hours due to risks of landslides.  Advice from local authorities is to check the road conditions ahead of any planned journeys.    

The latest and most accurate information can be obtained from local forecasts and updates – news, radio and social media. Following local advice is the best course of action.

Virgin Atlantic Holidays and Virgin Atlantic continue to closely monitoring the situation and at present the flight schedules remains unaffected, but please keep a close eye on www.virginatlantic.com for updates should there be any changes or should any airport restrictions be introduced.

To reassure you, preparedness is the best defense, so please familiarise yourself with the daily weather forecasts, local news and basic hurricane information, which can all be found here:

 

Road Closures:  https://www.nvroads.com/map

 

Local Alerts: Sign up to receive emergency alerts for the area you are visiting…

Nevada - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/3780/Emergency-Alerts

Los Angeles - https://emergency.lacity.gov/alerts/notifyla

Wider LA County - https://ready.lacounty.gov/emergency-notifications/

For other areas, search “emergency alerts (your city or county)”

 

Weather:  https://www.weatherusa.net/radio

National Hurricane Center:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Storm Preparation Guidelines:  https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/before.html  

 

Important Numbers:

Fire / Medical / Police Emergency (Life Threatening):     911

National Weather Service:    813.645.2323

 

Contact Us

The quickest way to contact Virgin Atlantic Holidays is via WhatsApp – details can be found here:

https://www.virginholidays.co.uk/concierge#region-resort

+44 7360 544 350

 

Alternatively, you can email us, but email responses may take a bit longer:

 

Virgin Atlantic Holidays USA In Resort Team:  USAReps@virginholidays.com

Virgin Atlantic Holidays 24-hour Emergency Duty Office: DutyOffice@virginholidays.com

 

In addition to the government recommendations for preparedness, the following precautions can be taken:

 

  1. If you are scheduled to depart during this time, please check your Virgin Atlantic Manage My Booking – any flight changes will be communicated here: https://www.virginatlantic.com/mytrips/findPnr.action
  2. Virgin Atlantic Holidays and Hotels do not provide emergency/hurricane supply kits. Obtain a supply of bottled water and non-perishable food items/snacks, along with a torch and batteries from a local shop.
  3. If you have a rental vehicle, ensure that it has a full tank of fuel.
  4. If you have to travel anywhere by car, please check for road closures before you set off – road closures often happen in advance of the storm, and roads are often flooded for a long time after the storm.
  5. Ensure all travel documents and cash are secure and kept in a plastic bag.
  6. Fill the bath and any other watertight container with water for use as an emergency drinking supply and toilet flush.
  7. Do not go outside when the hurricane is passing over, often the eye of the storm (the centre of the storm) is mistaken for the end of the storm which it is not; there is an equally severe tail wind that passes by.  You should only go outside when the ‘all clear’ has been given by the local authorities.
  8. The neighborhood or property you are staying in may lose power or utilities.  The local provider of the utility will be working to restore services as soon as it becomes safe to do so, you do not need to report this immediately.
  9. It is worth ensuring all your mobile phones and any other devices you need are kept fully charged in case the power does go out.
  10. Have some toys, books or games handy if you have children.
  11. If you have medication you take regularly, keep this safe in a plastic bag and with you at all times.