BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WBRC ) - Flights are grounded, hotels are booked and travelers are left stranded as Hurricane Melissa slams the Caribbean, leaving some vacationers stuck paying for extra room nights they never budgeted for.

Clay Ingram with AAA Alabama says travelers heading to the Caribbean or any place prone to storms need to plan for the possibility of getting stuck.

“I’ve been in the middle of that same situation myself just a couple of years ago and it can be very unnerving, quite honestly,” Ingram said.

It’s happened in Jamaica, where travelers were having to come up with money to pay for extra room nights or ending up in shelters due to Hurricane Melissa slamming the island.

Travel insurance provides financial protection

Ingram said that’s why it’s imperative travelers get

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