Q: What can the US Embassy do to assist US citizens during an evacuation crisis, such as a hurricane? Did anyone from the embassy in Kingston help during the hurricanes this fall?

It is very common for the US Government to send staff and resources from one embassy to assist another in times of crisis, such as a hurricane. We are proud to say that because Jamaica was spared the impacts of the hurricane season this year, we were able to assist our neighbours in the region.

On September 8, 2017, Hurricane Irma slammed several Caribbean islands, leaving millions desperate for assistance. As disheartening images of US citizens flooded the media, a group of 12 employees, including foreign service officers and Jamaican consular staff from the US Embassy in Kingston, joined a relief team of more than 30 Department of State personnel, working with the US Military and non-governmental organisations to ensure the welfare and protection of US citizens in the hurricane’s aftermath.

This collaborative effort resulted in the successful evacuation of more than 2,000 US citizens from Sint Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, and Anguilla back to the United States.

The US Embassy’s actions during a crisis are determined by the crisis itself. In some cases, the embassy will provide travel alerts, such as cautions about conflict zones and information about local assistance. The embassy may also suggest that US citizens consider evacuating the country during dire events.

If commercial transportation is absolutely unavailable, the Department of State may help to arrange departure assistance. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, from September 10 to 15, US consular teams evacuated US citizens stranded on devastated islands to Puerto Rico aboard US Air Force and National Guard C-130 cargo planes.

Many US citizens overseas assume the US Government will provide free evacuation transportation. Ultimately, evacuation costs are your responsibility and you will be asked to sign a promissory note to repay the transportation costs. The Department of State will charge the equivalent of a full coach commercial fare on a comparable mode of transportation at the time that commercial travel is not a viable option.

You will be escorted to a nearby location where you will have to make your own onward travel arrangements. After Irma, upon arrival in San Juan, US citizens were directed to local government and private organisations, such as the Red Cross, the US Health and Human Services, and commercial airlines to arrange onward travel.

During an evacuation operation arranged by the US Department of State, the safe evacuation of US citizens is the priority. Non-US citizens should not expect to travel on US Government-chartered or non-commercial transportation. Allowances may be permitted for unique family situations. The non-US citizen must have an appropriate travel document for the destination. For example, a US B1/B2 (tourist) visa holder husband may be able to accompany his US citizen wife on an evacuation flight. After US citizens are accommodated, services may be provided to non-US citizens.

To be prepared for an evacuation crisis make sure your passports and visas are current. The embassy will not be able to issue passports and visas in the wake of a catastrophic event. US citizens should consistently ensure that their passports are valid. Renew your passport before it expires.

If you are Jamaican and your children are US citizens, you will only be able to evacuate with them if you have a valid visa. Make an evacuation plan now, and be sure that you have the necessary documents to allow you to leave on short notice. Please see www.travel.state.gov for additional information.

For more information about American Citizen Services please visit our website www.jm.usembassy.gov . Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/US-Embassy-Jamaica and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. We also answer general consular questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.