The gymnasiums at the new Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy will be used as emergency shelters in the event of a hurricane striking Bermuda.

The two schools have been earmarked as primary shelters should the Island take a severe pounding from adverse weather. Other schools and churches around the Island would also become temporary shelters and will be announced over an emergency radio frequency.

With less than two months before the official start of the 2006 hurricane season, the Government has published an emergency plan booklet to be distributed to every household in Bermuda. It gives details of the emergency shelters and the radio broadcast service.

The 2006 hurricane season is again expected to be above average, according to veteran forecaster Dr. William Gray (see related story below).

The one-stop guide is intended to provide the public with clear information about what to do should the Island be hit by a natural disaster, and it lists steps that should be taken to prepare for an imminent hurricane strike and what to do afterwards when power and telephones may be out of order.

Although planning for the 30-page guide started shortly before the Island was hit by Hurricane Fabian in 2003, it has taken four years to compile all the information. The intention is to distribute the booklet through the postal service to all householders before the hurricane season begins on June 1.

Health Minister Patrice Minors unveiled the guide and said: ?One of the first casualties many Bermuda homes experience during a hurricane or storm is the loss of our electrical power. When the power goes we face the prospect of our refrigerated and frozen foods spoiling.

?If our roofs become littered with wind-blown debris the water in our tanks can become contaminated. If cell phone towers and phone lines are down we can become stressed if we are unable to make contact with loved ones, especially senior citizens.?

The guide includes information on how long it is safe to have food that has thawed in a refrigerator during a power outage and what alternatives exist such as storing perishable foods in cooler boxes with ice.

How to create an emergency supply kit, a home emergency action plan and how to evacuate, how to look after your roof and water tank and advice on using an emergency generator are included in the guide, as are a list of emergency numbers at the emergency broadcast station?s frequency 100.1 FM.

Mrs. Minors is encouraging everyone to read the booklet once they receive a copy and to place it in a handy location where it can be readily referred to.

?There is advice on what you need to do when there is news that a hurricane or storm is approaching the Island ? information on how we should secure our homes, care for our roofs and tank water before and after a storm, and how to keep our food safer longer during power outage,? she said.

The booklet has been published by the Department of Health. Anyone needing further information should contact the department on 278-4976.