Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Oct. 9, 2026 — Puerto Vallarta’s municipal DIF announced the opening of five temporary shelters beginning at noon Friday as Hurricane Simon approached the Jalisco coast.
The first location prepared was the Salón Ejidal de Ixtapa. Authorities subsequently added UNIVA and three other facilities in El Mangal, Loma Bonita and El Colorado.
The municipality has identified 16 potential shelter locations with a combined estimated capacity of about 4,000 people. Additional facilities will open according to evacuation needs and instructions from state and municipal Civil Protection officials.
Five Hurricane Shelter Locations Announced in Puerto Vallarta
According to the DIF’s updated shelter announcement, the first five locations designated for activation Friday are:
- Salón Ejidal de Ixtapa: Calle Benito Juárez 170, Colonia Centro, Ixtapa. Listed capacity of 188 people.
- Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA): Avenida Universidad del Valle de Atemajac 500, Fraccionamiento Villas Universidad. Listed capacity of 378 people.
- CECyTEJ: Calle Corea del Sur 560, near 16 de Septiembre, Colonia El Mangal. Listed capacity of 384 people.
- Preparatoria Regional de Puerto Vallarta: Calle 21 de Marzo 500, Colonia Loma Bonita. Listed capacity of 600 people.
- Escuela Telesecundaria Adolfo Ruiz Cortines: Calle Pascual Ortiz Rubio 413, El Colorado. Listed capacity of 246 people.
Our review of the published shelter capacities puts the combined total for these five facilities at 1,796 people. These figures represent planned capacity, not confirmed real-time availability.
Although the city has identified 16 possible shelters, it is not opening the entire network simultaneously.
Residents should confirm which facilities are operating and follow Civil Protection personnel’s directions before traveling to a shelter.
Evacuation Preparations Focus on Vulnerable Communities
The shelter expansion comes as Puerto Vallarta prepares preventive evacuations in neighborhoods considered vulnerable to flooding and other storm hazards.
Municipal and state emergency teams are monitoring conditions around the Cuale, Pitillal and Ameca rivers. Officials have identified rising river levels, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding as concerns during Simon’s approach.
The initial shelters are distributed across the northern and inland portions of Puerto Vallarta, including Ixtapa and El Colorado.
Authorities said they will prioritize people living in areas where evacuations are ordered. The opening of additional facilities will depend on the storm’s development and how many residents need assistance.
The city is also coordinating its emergency response with Jalisco Civil Protection, which determines when preventive evacuations and additional shelter activations are necessary.
DIF Prepares Food and Emergency Supplies
The municipal DIF has also established reserves of food and other supplies for residents who may need temporary accommodation.
Lucía Carmina Michel Pérez, president of DIF Puerto Vallarta, confirmed that the organization has provisions for prepared meals and food packages.
“We have supplies in reserve to prepare hot meals and food packages for the most remote communities or those who need them,” Michel said in remarks reported Friday.
She explained that the municipality’s broader emergency shelter plan could accommodate nearly 1,000 families if it activated all designated facilities.
The response also includes preparation for communities farther from the urban center, where access to supplies and transportation could become difficult during prolonged rainfall.
The city’s shelter preparations coincide with earlier plans to relocate hotel guests and employees from properties in areas considered at risk.
Municipal authorities have asked residents to follow official evacuation instructions and avoid traveling into hazardous areas. Civil Protection will announce additional shelter openings and their locations as it authorizes them.
Residents can consult the DIF Puerto Vallarta website for municipal contact information and the Jalisco Civil Protection agency for emergency guidance.
