Hurricane season starts June 1st, 2024

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We would like to remind visitors and residents that hurricane season officially starts June 1st, 2024, and runs through to November 30th, 2024. While the likelihood of a hurricane directly impacting Barbados is low, it always remains a possibility each year.

In 2021, Barbados was directly hit by a category 1 tropical cyclone, known as Hurricane Elsa. A few weeks before, a sudden 'freak storm' caused damage to dozens of homes across Barbados.

Please make sure you are prepared for the hurricane season. Familiarise yourself with the Emergency Shelters List for 2024, published by the Department of Emergency Management.

Make sure you have adequate supplies, including non-perishable foodstuffs and potable water that will last you and your family for a minimum of two (2) weeks. See page 29 of the shelters list for a detailed list of supplies you should have as part of your Disaster Emergency Kit.

In addition to hurricane preparedness, you should also be mindful that Barbados lies within an area of relatively high earthquake activity and therefore can be impacted by tsunamis at any time during the year. Always obey the 'natural signs', that is to say:

If you are at the beach and you either: FEEL a strong shaking; or HEAR a strange roar from the sea; or SEE the water withdraw an unusual distance from the shore, immediately RUN to higher ground or as far inland as possible.

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