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ECMIL | Hurricane Season Advisory

A practical, no nonsense hurricane season advisory tailored for Caribbean homes covering what to inspect, what to stock,
and who to contact in 2025.


Pre-season & pre-storm inspections


Roof

  • Look for loose/missing shingles, cracked tiles, rusted screws or lifted fasteners. Re-secure sheets and ridge caps; replace compromised underlayment. Add sealant to all penetrations (vents, satellite mounts, solar rails).
  • Check roof-to-wall connections: confirm hurricane straps are present and not corroded; tighten/replace bolts.
  • Clear gutters and downpipes so water leaves the roof quickly.

Openings & walls

  • Inspect doors and windows for play and decay; tighten hinges/ locks. Fit shutters or pre-cut 5/8" exterior-grade plywood; label each panel by room.
  • Fill wall cracks, reseal around frames, AC wall sleeves, conduit penetrations, and service masts.

Yard

  • Trim trees away from the roof and service drops; remove dead limbs. Stake young trees.
  • Stow or tie down loose items (tanks, bins, furniture, tools). Mark and secure LPG cylinders upright, downwind of the house.

Drains & flood paths

  • Walk your property after a heavy shower: trace where water collects. Clear roadside/ drain grates and your property’s swales and French drains. If you’re in a known flood spot, stage sandbags at door thresholds and low vents.

Outbuildings & vehicles

  • Reinforce light roofs on sheds with extra screws
    and purlin straps.
  • Park vehicles on higher ground, nose-out, full tank.
    Move boats/ trailers to sheltered, strapped tie-downs.

Power & equipment

  • Test generators under load; change oil and filters.
    Store fresh fuel with stabiliser in ventilated, shaded space.
  • If you have solar: update the shutdown procedure card and confirm you can isolate PV, inverter, and batteries safely.
  • Photograph the property (roof, rooms, appliances)
    for insurance.

Essentials kit for outages & damage 
(aim for 7–10 days)


Water & food

  • Water: at least 5L per person per day.
    Include purification tabs or a gravity filter.
  • Food: shelf-stable staples (rice, pasta, tins, nut butters, UHT milk), baby/ medical diets. Manual can opener.

Power & light

  • Fully charged power banks, headlamps, and torches. Spare AA/AAA.
  • Small DC fan or rechargeable fan for heat spells.
  • Generator fuel & extension cords rated/ weatherproof; outdoor-rated surge strips.

Health & hygiene

  • First-aid kit (wound dressings, antiseptic, elastic bandage, tweezers), personal meds (2>4 weeks), prescriptions copies.
  • ORS packets, antihistamines, analgesics, insect repellent, sunscreen, sanitary supplies, diapers, wipes, trash bags.

Tools & repairs

  • Work gloves, safety goggles, N95s for debris/ mold.
  • Tarp(s), rope/ratchet straps, duct tape, cable ties,
    bungee cords.
  • Hammer, pry bar, multi-bit screwdriver, utility knife, handsaw, adjustable wrench, hose clamps, wood screws, nails.
  • Fire extinguisher (ABC), whistle, waterproof matches/ lighter.

Docs & comms

  • Copies of IDs, land/ house docs, insurance,
    medical info in a dry pouch.
  • Battery/ hand-crank radio to get advisories if the grid
    and cell data fail.

Cash & fuel

  • Small bills/ coins. Keep vehicle above half-tank in season.

Pets

  • Food, carriers, vaccination records, leashes, puppy pads, bowls.

During watches & warnings

  • Follow your national emergency authority and the US NOAA/NHC advisories for exact timing and track advisories typically post every six hours. Close shutters early; don’t wait for gales. National Weather Service
  • Charge everything; set refrigerators/ freezers to coldest, make ice.
  • Fill baths/ buckets for non-potable use (flushing/ cleanup).
  • If you’re in a surge or landslide zone and officials advise evacuating, go as instructed; roads can become impassable quickly.

After the storm: safety first

  • Treat downed lines as live; keep 10 m/ 30 ft distance.
  • Ventilate before using fuel appliances; never run a generator indoors or in a garage. Position it outside,
    6 m/ 20 ft from doors/windows, with exhaust downwind.
  • Photograph damage before temporary repairs.
    Use tarps/ boards to limit water ingress.
  • Discard food that warmed above 4°C/ 40 °F for >2 hours.
  • If flooding occurred, assume mold growth within 24>48 hours; dry, clean with detergent, then disinfect; wear PPE.

Key 2025 emergency & forecast contacts
(Eastern, Central &Northern Caribbean)

Regional / forecasting


Storm.001

Eastern Caribbean (OECS & neighbours)

  • St Vincent & the Grenadines – NEMO SVG: Contact directory & advisories. coe.gob.do
  • Saint Lucia – NEMO (Bisée, Castries): +1 758-452-3802; alternate +1 758-468-2126. Site: nemo.gov.lc. nemo.gov.lcopm.govt.lc

Central Caribbean (Jamaica, Cayman, Hispaniola, Cuba)

  • Jamaica – ODPEM: Official ODPEM site with alerts and contacts. Facebook
  • Cayman Islands – Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI): +1 345-945-4624; hmci@gov.ky; caymanprepared.gov.ky. caymanprepared.gov.ky
  • Dominican Republic – COE (Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias): Tel. +1 809-472-0909; info@coe.gob.do; coe.gob.do. coe.gob.do
  • Haiti – Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC/Protection Civile): Agency site and contact listing. un-spider.orgweready.org
  • Cuba – Defensa Civil: National civil defense system portal (contact via government networks). firstnet.gov


Northern Caribbean (Bahamas, TCI, PR/USVI)

Tip: Save these numbers in your phone and print a one-page copy for your fridge/go-bag. For live storm tracks and official warnings, check NHC advisories and your island’s emergency agency first.

Local readiness (quick hits)

  • Register vulnerable family members with your District Disaster Committee via NEMO if available; keep the district coordinator number handy.
  • Know your nearest shelter (NEMO publishes lists each season) and two routes to get there that avoid low bridges and landslide-prone slopes.
  • If you rely on medical devices, speak to your clinic now about backup power or alternative care locations during extended outages.

Neighbourhood plan (because resilience is local)

  • Share a WhatsApp list and check-in schedule for your street. Assign: (1) roof & tarps crew, (2) chainsaw/clearing crew, (3) first-aid checkers, (4) supplies runners.
  • Pool for bulk water delivery or community tanks; label a safe, dry spot for shared tools and a neighbour-charging station (generator safety rules apply).

ECMIL is not just a supplier, but a construction partner.
With over 40 years of experience, a central location,
and an expert team, ECMIL ensures that top-quality materials move efficiently across the region.

Talk to our highly experienced sales staff 
who will lead you through the process
and discover why we are 

ECMIL | The Steel of The Region

NB. This article is for general information purposes only and is meant as an incentive to the reader, who should then research and seek advice from their architectural and construction professionals to confirm that the ideas expressed are possible within the building codes of their territory or within the limitations of their home's architecture. ECMIL only recommends their own products and third party products which they supply, as part of their company's roofing solutions to customers.