Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Oct. 10, 2026 — Puerto Vallarta activated five emergency shelters Oct. 9, municipal officials announced, as authorities prepared evacuations from areas threatened by Hurricane Simón.
The municipal DIF family services agency had prepared 16 potential shelter sites. It said additional openings would follow instructions from state and municipal Civil Protection.
Residents without cars also face a change in transportation. UnibusPV announced that buses would stop running at 5 p.m. Oct. 10.
How evacuation measures affect residents
The city’s Civil Protection council identified the Cuale, Pitillal and Ameca rivers among areas under monitoring. Officials warned about heavy rain, rising waterways and high waves.
DIF urged residents exposed to flooding, landslides or overflowing streams to prepare documents, essential medicines and supplies before moving.
The bus timetable is separate from evacuation guidance. Oswaldo Hernández Arvizu, commander of Jalisco Civil Protection’s regional base, urged preventive moves on Oct. 9. He also advised against highway travel Saturday and Sunday, especially on mountain routes.
“We no longer have time to plead with people,” Hernández said in an Oct. 9 radio interview, translated from Spanish.
Jalisco Alerta advises evacuees to follow official routes and instructions. Residents still needing to move should request current guidance from Civil Protection.
Our report on Puerto Vallarta’s evacuation preparations explains the local response. This guide brings together shelter addresses, contact listings and official preparation advice.
Where Puerto Vallarta activated shelters
The municipal government’s Oct. 9 shelter announcement identified the following five locations. UNIVA was the site expressly identified as accepting pets.
| Shelter | Published address |
|---|---|
| UNIVA, Universidad del Valle de Atemajac | Avenida Universidad del Valle de Atemajac 500, Villas Universidad |
| Salón Ejidal de Ixtapa | Calle Benito Juárez 170, Centro, Ixtapa |
| CECyTEJ | Calle Corea del Sur 560, at Calle 16 de Septiembre, El Mangal |
| Escuela Primaria 24 de Febrero | Calle Álvaro Obregón 448, El Colorado |
| Preparatoria Regional “Jacobo” | Calle 21 de Marzo 500, Loma Bonita |
These addresses document the Oct. 9 activations. Confirm the receiving location and available space through Civil Protection or DIF before setting out.
“A prepared shelter does not mean the facility is already open and available to the public,” Jalisco Alerta’s shelter guidance states, translated from Spanish.
The same guidance describes shelters as temporary accommodation when a home or community presents a safety risk. A building appearing on a preparation map does not establish that it is receiving evacuees.
When checking a destination, ask: Is this shelter receiving people now? Is there space for our household? Which entrance should we use? Are we being directed to another location?
Emergency contacts and shelter inquiries
For an emergency, call 911. Puerto Vallarta’s official tourism contact directory lists it for police and ambulance services, along with municipal Civil Protection numbers.
I checked these published numbers against the official tourism directory and DIF’s contact listings.
| Contact | Published number | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency services | 911 | Emergency assistance |
| Puerto Vallarta Civil Protection and Fire Department | 322-178-8000; 322-226-8080, ext. 3201 | Local Civil Protection guidance |
| DIF Puerto Vallarta | 322-225-9936 | Ask about shelter reception and household needs |
DIF publishes its main number on its official contact page. Use emergency services for an urgent threat, rather than waiting for an administrative office to answer.
When requesting help, give your street, house number, colonia and a nearby landmark. State how many people need assistance and whether anyone cannot walk or board a vehicle without help.
For residents with limited Spanish, a request can begin: “Necesito apoyo para evacuar. Estoy en [calle, número y colonia]. Somos [número] personas.”
This means: “I need help evacuating. I am at [street, number and neighborhood]. There are [number] of us.”
Who directs evacuations and how warnings reach residents
According to DIF’s preparation notice, state and municipal Civil Protection determine shelter activation. They prioritize areas requiring preventive evacuation. DIF coordinates shelter preparation and reception with those authorities.
Hernández said emergency personnel were visiting vulnerable neighborhoods and communities to urge residents to leave flood zones and unstable slopes. He said some households could stay with relatives or friends outside the vulnerable areas.
Municipal Civil Protection directs residents to the city government and fire department’s official Facebook pages for updates. Its Oct. 9 preparation notice also tells residents to follow evacuation instructions when issued.
The state’s Jalisco Alerta service provides official warnings and lets users set their location by GPS or postal code. Its published features include English translations of notifications.
Jalisco Alerta’s cyclone alert guidance explains that yellow calls for evacuation preparation. Orange calls for leaving when authorities direct it; red calls for remaining in a safe place.
Each notice also distinguishes an approaching storm from one moving away. Read your municipality’s instructions along with the color.
Choosing a route from a coastal or riverside address
In the local notices I reviewed, authorities identified monitored rivers but did not provide turn-by-turn evacuation routes. Ask Civil Protection which route and destination apply to your address.
For a coastal home, ask which inland receiving location authorities recommend. For a riverside home, ask which crossings remain authorized. Give the exact address rather than relying on a neighborhood name alone.
The National Center for Disaster Prevention, known as Cenapred, advises residents to identify exits and safer locations before flooding. Its flash-flood guidance explains that heavy rain can overwhelm drainage and create strong currents.
Cenapred’s flood and landslide recommendations warn against walking or driving through flooded streets, rivers or streams. For homes on slopes or near ravines, it recommends identifying safer locations with Civil Protection.
Our explainer on why some Puerto Vallarta streets flood before others provides local context. A background map cannot confirm that a particular street is passable during an emergency.
Transport assistance and accessibility
The city’s shelter announcement says agencies will coordinate evacuation and reception assistance. It does not specify public pickup schedules or accessibility features at each building.
For a household without a vehicle, ask Civil Protection where to meet evacuation transport and whether assistance has been assigned. Confirm the pickup location, departure instructions and destination.
If someone uses a wheelchair, walker or other mobility aid, explain that when requesting help. Ask whether the vehicle can carry the person and equipment, and whether boarding assistance is available.
Before accepting a shelter assignment, ask about steps, accessible toilets and space for a caregiver. If equipment requires electricity, tell the receiving staff and ask what arrangements are available.
Use those questions to confirm an appropriate placement. Municipal Civil Protection’s packing advice specifically includes mobility aids and individual support items for residents with disabilities.
What to take to an emergency shelter
Puerto Vallarta Civil Protection and Cenapred’s emergency-bag guidance recommend preparing supplies before evacuation orders arrive. Their lists include:
- Documents: Identification and copies of important records. Municipal guidance recommends waterproof bags.
- Medicines: Regular medication and a first-aid kit, with supplies suited to each household member.
- Water and food: Bottled water and nonperishable food that is easy to carry and open.
- Communications: A portable radio, flashlight, spare batteries and a charged phone power bank.
- Personal items: Clean clothes, hygiene supplies, rain protection and spare footwear.
- Household needs: Baby food, diapers, mobility aids and pet supplies as required.
- Cash and contacts: Cash, emergency numbers and relatives’ contact details.
Cenapred recommends supplies for the first 72 hours. Its packing guidance also advises keeping the bag somewhere accessible and adapting it for children, older adults, disabilities and pets.
For foreign residents, the document category can include a passport, residency card and copies of relevant insurance details. This is a packing suggestion, not a published shelter admission requirement.
Preparing pets for evacuation
UNIVA’s inclusion as a pet-accepting shelter gives animal owners a specific location to ask about. Confirm its receiving status and handling requirements when arranging the move.
Cenapred’s pet emergency-kit recommendations include vaccination records, a recent photograph, water, food, medicines, a blanket and identification.
The agency recommends familiarizing pets with their carriers. Municipal Civil Protection also advises packing food and a leash.
Tell the receiving staff how many animals you are bringing and ask which entrance to use. The Oct. 9 notice explicitly identifies pet access at UNIVA; confirm arrangements before assuming another site accepts animals.
Remaining sheltered and returning home
Jalisco Alerta advises residents to wait for authorities to say it is safe to return. A storm moving away can still leave flooding, landslides, fallen trees and damaged power lines.
Our Puerto Vallarta hurricane-season guide brings together local preparation explainers and storm coverage.
Before leaving the shelter, ask staff how they will communicate return instructions and whether they are arranging transport assistance.