The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has confirmed that multiple emergency shelters in the Southern Grenadines are fully repaired and ready for use ahead of the peak hurricane season.
Minister of Finance, Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, made the announcement while responding to questions in Parliament from Area Representative for the Southern Grenadines, Hon. Terrance Ollivierre, regarding the readiness of shelters in the region.
Minister Gonsalves provided a comprehensive update on post-disaster recovery and ongoing preparedness measures, noting that Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall on July 1, 2024, impacted more than 90% of buildings across the Southern Grenadines.
He said the government responded swiftly, prioritizing repairs and retrofitting of both public and select private buildings to ensure continued educational services and strengthen disaster preparedness.
By September 2024, several key educational institutions that also function as emergency shelters had been repaired, including:
Canouan Primary School
Canouan Secondary School
Mayreau Government School
Union Island Secondary School
Gonsalves also noted that the Stephanie Browne Government School on Union Island was repaired but will now serve only as a post-storm shelter, due to its proximity to the sea, which makes it unsuitable for use during an active storm. The Mary Hutchinson Primary School, also on Union Island, is nearing completion and will be a fully operational emergency shelter.
He further reported that engineers from the Ministry of Transport and Works and the Physical Planning Unit conducted comprehensive shelter inspections, completing assessments on April 30 in Union Island and on May 8 in Canouan and Mayreau.
Due to widespread hurricane damage, several previously listed private shelters are now unusable. However, the following approved emergency shelters are available for the 2025 hurricane season:
Canouan
Canouan Anglican Church
Canouan Kindergarten (Grand Bay)
Canouan Government School
Wells of Living Water Church
Mayreau
Mayreau Government School
Union Island
Learning Resource Centre (Ashton)
Mary Hutchinson Primary School (Ashton)
Union Island Secondary School
Stephanie Browne Government School (Post-storm shelter only)
The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) has also initiated negotiations with private property owners in Union Island whose buildings have been restored and deemed fit for emergency use. These discussions aim to supplement existing shelter capacity, should the need arise.
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