Cozumel Opens Hurricane Shelters for Residents, Tourists and Pets

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Cozumel has set up four temporary shelters and established a coordinated hurricane response plan to protect residents and visitors before, during and after a major storm, local officials said.

Civil Protection Director Alfredo Arellano said the island has been fully divided into response zones with the support of the Armed Forces, civil protection personnel and the DIF social services agency, allowing emergency teams to react quickly in areas considered most at risk.

The Conalep campus stands out as the only shelter on the island that allows residents to bring their pets. Authorities are also maintaining preventive surveillance in the neighborhoods of Ranchitos and Félix González, where about 120 vulnerable homes are identified in the municipal risk atlas.

For the tourism sector, Cozumel has a comprehensive protocol for the safe sheltering and timely evacuation of visitors if needed. Most hotels operate as certified in-house shelters and can keep guests on site once buildings are secured against wind and flooding.

Arellano said that if a hotel does not meet required structural standards or authorities order a mandatory evacuation, tourism operators and the municipal government will coordinate moving visitors to the official temporary shelters.