This paper examines the coverage of Hurricane Ivan in the Caribbean published in selected leading UK newspapers in September 2004. Quantitative textual analysis have been utilised in this study to determine the main sources of information on the hurricane and to examine the framing of tourist risk in the press accounts of this disaster. It is demonstrated that overseas reporting of Hurricane Ivan in the selected news items tended to present information that seemed to emphasise and heighten tourist vulnerability and risk. Institutional official sources were often quoted to reinforce danger and ‘no-escape’ rather than reporting on management strategies to reduce these risks or measures that were implemented to ensure visitor safety. This paper therefore contends that media management strategies on disasters need to employ more precise and careful monitoring of media accounts of disasters in major generating markets. Such activities may be invaluable in providing assistance to tourism managers regarding decisions on communications strategies and marketing activity aimed at repairing damage and returning to normality in an affected country or region.