While tourists were visiting the small island of White Island in New Zealand this week, an active volcano suddenly erupted, killing at least 5, injuring dozens and leaving 8 missing.

The Royal Caribbean cruise ship: Ovation of the Seas was docked at the island and many cruisers were enjoying the lush landscape and natural beauty when the volcano suddenly erupted.

The ship assisted local authorities in helping to evacuate people from the island and provide needed care, but some are still missing.

This leads me to the STEP program from the state department. This site allows you to register your trip and receive alerts about the places you’re going to visit. It also allows them to know where you are in the case of such an emergency.

We recommend anyone who travels outside of the country to enroll in STEP to keep informed about any alerts in the areas you will be traveling in as well as helping family keep in touch in the case of an emergency.