The recent earthquake in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains has had a devastating effect on the remote mountain communities. In fact, the earthquake was so impactful that not only did it cause damage to the Old Medina in Marrakesh, 44 miles away, it was also felt as far as Casablanca and Rabat.

With recovery and rebuilding efforts ongoing, and (very valid) fears of being caught in a similarly perilous situation, you might be thinking of removing Morocco from your to-do list. But as a popular winter sun destination, its high season is only just getting started. To lose tourist numbers now would only increase hardship among tour guides, hotel workers, restaurant staff, and more.

So, what do we suggest? Don’t cancel. If you have a trip booked to Marrakesh or the High Atlases in the near future but don’t feel comfortable going under the circumstances, many airlines and tour operators will let you postpone until a later date.

If you don’t have that flexibility, we’d propose visiting a different part of the country. Check out last year’s 15th September Detour (spooky!) for our top tips on places to visit in and around Agadir and Essaouira. Personal favourites include the hidden canyons of Paradise Valley, Morocco’s southernmost vineyard and the painted rocks of Tafraoute.

But beyond Morocco, this summer’s events have made it abundantly clear that no matter where you’re travelling to, it’s never over-the-top to have a natural disaster contingency plan in your back pocket. Here are all the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected:

1. Research
Find out what risks there are in the specific area you are visiting. Googling [location] + [month] + [weather] is a good place to start when checking the chances of wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, etc.

For example, it’s surprising that with a destination as popular as the Caribbean, many people still don’t know when hurricane season is and grab cheaper flights without thinking. Earthquakes are a little harder to predict (impossible, in fact), but you can certainly find out if there’s a history of earthquakes in the region you’re visiting, and how serious they tend to be.

Of course, these things shouldn’t stop you from travelling, but you want to be aware of the risks and make sure you have appropriate cover, which leads us to…

2. Insurance
It should go without saying that you want to get travel insurance before you head off. But don’t just go with the cheapest option! Following the COVID-19 outbreak, many of us discovered the hard way that didn’t have comprehensive cover. Always read the small print, understand what the policy will take care of, and ensure you can pay any excess if you need to make a claim.

3. Flexible travel
If we always stayed home because of a risk, we’d never travel anywhere—that’s why airline Flex fares are a good option. Choose fares that let you rebook and accommodation with free cancellation, giving you the option to rebook if the situation changes before you travel. Sometimes it’s worth paying a little extra to have that peace of mind!

You’d also be wise to take a look at how individual airlines tend to deal with “act of God” situations. The standard approach is to shrug their shoulders and tell you to claim it on insurance, however American Airlines and British Airways, for example, are known to drop their change fees or offer free cancellation in such situations.

4. Book through a travel agency
This one might sound pretty old school, but hear us out! While online travel agencies may get a bad rep for their hidden fees and poor service, traditional travel agencies and tour operators can offer support and protection.

They’re able to contact airlines on your behalf and usually have a clear overview of all available flights should you need to leave somewhere in a rush. In addition, even when airlines are putting up a fight and citing an “act of God” as a reason not to refund you, your travel agency might cough up.

5. Stay in the loop
So you’re away on your trip, enjoying that feeling of being cut off from the real world, only getting notifications when you get back to your accommodation and connect to the Wi-Fi.

But say something does go wrong while you’re out and about and Wi-Fi isn’t an option. Having a local SIM or eSIM not only stops you running up roaming charges, it also means you’ll get local alerts and can stay as in-the-loop as locals. You don’t need to stay connected at all times, but making sure someone in your party has that option will keep you safe and informed.

On that note, it’s always worth bringing along a fully-charged power bank just in case the electricity goes. Just try not to run it down by bingeing a series on Netflix!

6. Emergency cash
You don’t want to carry around a load of extra cash on holiday, but these days it’s easy to forget to carry any at all! It’s good practice to make sure you’ve got some local currency and/or a widely-accepted international currency handy, just in case you find yourself in a sticky situation.

7. Carry a First Aid Kit
This is a no-brainer for anyone who likes to camp or hike anyway—or if you have kids who run around at 100 miles per hour! It’s a good idea to bring along a small pouch containing painkillers, plasters and antiseptic wipes in addition to your usual prescription medication. It might not be a big thing, but it can certainly ease pain until you get medical attention.

8. Don’t panic
We know we’ve spent the last 600 words telling you how to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which might seem kinda scary. But in actual fact, making sure you have all the facts and provisions in place should let you feel more relaxed during any trip to an at-risk area. And in case you do find yourself dealing with the unexpected, at least the basics are covered.

First settled about 13,000 years ago, South Dakota has some of the deepest ties to Indigenous history of any US state. The most prominent group of tribes is the Sioux, who lend their language to several places, like “Sioux Falls” and, well, “South Dakota.” The word “Dakota” is the native word meaning “friend” or “ally.”

These tribes once converged around a mountain called Tunkasila Sakpe Paha, a sacred granite formation in the Black Hills. This peak is better known today as Mount Rushmore, after it was picked as the ideal canvas for a carving of four US presidents. It has withstood decades of protests and legislations over Native rights, all the while still raking in hundreds of millions in tourist dollars.

To lend a little support to Native initiatives, the lesser-known Crazy Horse Memorial strives to celebrate and protect Indigenous culture. A work in progress, it aims to be the largest sculpted monument in the world when complete.

South Dakota’s rock carvings aren’t only man-made, either. East of the Black Hills are the Badlands. These stunningly striped formations appeared via erosion over millions of years. Despite how barren they look today, they were once home to many prehistoric creatures, including giant marine reptiles called mosasaurs.

Now to admire some subterranean splendour: above ground, the buffalo roam, but beneath the surface of Wind Cave National Park, you’ll find – as promised – a cave! It’s full of marvellous drippy stalactites and calcite boxwork.

And of course, there’s also wind in Wind Cave. Sometimes the winds at the cave entrance reach up to 70mph. That’s breaking the speed limit in some states!

We’ll finish our tour allllll the way across the state in the aforementioned Sioux Falls. It’s the most populous city in South Dakota, and their central waterfall is pretty unique, cutting through downtown as a rocky, layered, cascade. The city is also super close to Palisades, where natural quartzite towers jut out of the river.

Between the sculptures, mountains, caves, and formations, it’s safe to say that South Dakota rocks.

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• Residents of São Lourenço do Bairro in Portugal will be wishing they’d had their water bottles handy this week, as two tanks of red wine burst and flooded the streets with nearly 600,000 gallons of the good stuff.
• If you’ve been thinking about hopping on the new European Sleeper from Brussels to Berlin, now is the time to head over to The Man in Seat 61 for 25% off trips between now and December.
• In just a couple of weeks, London will be getting a new free viewing platform—and it’ll be the highest yet. Horizon 22 will offer 58th-floor views across the UK capital from a whole 10 metres higher than the Shard. Wowzers!
• And finally, are we not safe from ridicule on any airline these days? As if taking a leaf from the Ryanair play book, easyJet cabin crew were last week caught on film exposing two passengers getting familiar in a plane toilet. Given the aircraft was en route from London to Ibiza, we hope that wasn’t the climax of the couple’s holiday.