Belize City Hurricane Shelters Assessed Ahead of 2025 Atlantic Season

With forecasters predicting an above-average hurricane season for 2025, Belize City officials are taking no chances. The City Emergency Management Organization (CEMO), in close coordination with the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), has begun inspecting shelters across the city to ensure they are ready to receive residents if a storm hits.

According to forecasts from Colorado State University, the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to bring 19 named storms, including nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

“We have done a lot of training. They have been able to do what you call shelter inspection,” said Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner. “They have worked very closely with NEMO. I can say outrightly that this is the best relationship we have had with NEMO as a group, because the structure, the organizational structure of NEMO has really been put in place by the new leadership. We feel that with the coordinated efforts of NEMO and CEMO in the city we want to be prepared.”

As for when the public can expect an official list of shelters, Wagner explained that CEMO supports the process but NEMO leads it. “That is coordinated with NEMO and NEMO identifies the shelters. We just go along with them in terms of knowing in what capacity they are in—are they available, do they need repairs. If they need repairs we assist with that, but in terms of identifying and selecting shelters that is up to NEMO,” Wagner said.