Before you go to a shelter

What to bring (Emergency Go Bag)

Pack a Go Bag that is easy to grab if you have to leave home. Refresh it at the start of the hurricane season on 1 June.

• Bottled water
• A small first aid kit and any prescription medication
• A small flashlight and spare batteries
• Infant essentials — medicine, sterile water, diapers, ready formula, bottles
• Your ID, passport or driver's licence, in water-tight plastic bags
• Cash, in denominations of $20 and less
• Hand sanitiser and wipes
• Personal toiletries and sanitary items
• A whistle
• A portable radio and batteries
• Ready-to-eat food (canned, packaged or boxed) and a can opener

Also keep a Household Disaster Supply Kit at home for use after the storm — drinking water, two weeks of non-perishable food, a tarpaulin, clean-up supplies and a fire extinguisher.

Before you leave home

• Listen for evacuation advice on local radio, TV news and official social media. Leave when you are told to.
• Fill containers with water — the bathtub, sinks and the washing machine.
• Shut off water and electricity at the mains.
• Close the valve on large propane tanks and anchor them.
• Lock all windows and doors.
• Take your Go Bag and any prescription medication.
• Leave early, in daylight if you can. Do not drive through floodwater.

Pets are not allowed in shelters. Arrange to leave them with friends or family, and pack a Pet Survival Kit.

What to expect when you arrive

• A warden will register you and your family at the door. Have your ID ready.
• The warden will assign you a space — this may be a hall, a classroom or a smaller individual room.
• Food is not provided. Bring your own from your Go Bag and Disaster Supply Kit.
• Bedding is not provided either. Bring a pillow, blanket or sleeping bag if you can.
• The space is shared. Be considerate of other occupants and follow the warden's instructions.
• Cell signal, internet and electricity may be down. Keep a portable radio with you for updates.
• Wardens may ask you to help with simple shelter tasks. You are expected to cooperate.

Shelter rules

The Senior Warden runs the shelter and their decisions are final. Every occupant must cooperate, including helping with shelter tasks if the Warden asks.

You cannot bring:

• pets
• firearms or other weapons
• alcohol

You cannot:

• smoke in the shelter
• damage the building, furniture or equipment — you will be prosecuted
• use violence, profane language or behave in an anti-social way

Shelter staff are not responsible for any belongings you bring. The Department of Emergency Management is not liable for lost or damaged property.

If a State of Emergency is declared under the Emergency Management Act (CAP 160A), you must follow any orders made under the Act.

Protocol for entering shelters

• You do not have to wear a face mask, but you can if you want to.
• If you have new respiratory symptoms, you must wear a face mask.
• Hand sanitiser is available on entry — using it is optional.
• If you have been isolating at home with a communicable illness, tell the warden on arrival and wear a face mask.

Shelters can open at any time during the Atlantic hurricane season, between 1 June and 30 November.

Shelters with an accessible bathroom

Fourteen shelters have a bathroom suitable for people who use a wheelchair. The rest of the building may not be step-free — call ahead if you need to check.

Category 1 (used during a hurricane)

• Blackman and Gollop Primary School — Christ Church
• The Lodge School — St. John
• Tamarind Hall Branch Library (Eric Holder Municipal Complex) — St. Joseph
• William Donald George Parish Centre (St. Lucy Parish Church) — St. Lucy
• Combermere School — St. Michael
• George Lamming Primary School — St. Michael
• Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre — St. Michael
• The University of the West Indies (Sagicor Building) — St. Michael
• Westbury Primary School — St. Michael
• Coleridge and Parry School — St. Peter
• Lester Vaughan School — St. Thomas

Category 2 (used after a hurricane)

• St. Matthias Anglican Church — Christ Church
• Daryll Jordan Secondary — St. Lucy
• Barbados Community College, Commerce Division — St. Michael

Your District Emergency Organisation

A District Emergency Organisation (DEO) is a network of trained volunteers who coordinate the emergency response for your community. Contact your local chairperson if you need community-level help before, during or after an emergency.

Hurricane terms

Words you may hear on local radio or TV during a storm.

Tropical wave

A bend in the normally straight flow of surface air in the tropics, with showers and thunderstorms. Can develop into a tropical cyclone.

Tropical depression

A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds below 39 mph.

Tropical storm

A tropical cyclone with winds of 39–73 mph.

Tropical storm watch

Tropical storm conditions are possible within 48 hours.

Tropical storm warning

Tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours.

Hurricane

A tropical cyclone with winds of 74 mph or more.

Hurricane watch

Hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours.

Hurricane warning

Hurricane conditions are expected to make landfall within 36 hours.

All clear

The storm or hurricane has left the area, but you should still be cautious.

Storm surge

The dome of water that builds up as a hurricane moves over the sea. When it comes ashore it causes flooding — usually a hurricane's biggest killer.

Eye

The low-pressure centre of a hurricane. Winds are normally calm and the sky can clear. Do not be fooled — the worst part comes after the eye passes and the winds blow from the opposite direction.

Eye wall

The ring of thunderstorms that surrounds the eye. The heaviest rain, strongest winds and worst turbulence are normally here.

All phone numbers

Save these numbers ahead of the hurricane season. All numbers below are published in the 2026 Emergency Shelter Booklet.

Emergency services

Department of Emergency Management (DEM)

Shelter Wardens (Ministry of Educational Transformation)