[2] Early in the duration of the storm, the National Hurricane Center consistently forecast Ivan to track further to the north than it eventually did.

As the hurricane approached the southern Lesser Antilles, more watches were issued, and by 24 hours prior to Ivan passing through the island chain a hurricane warning was in effect for Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Tobago, and Grenada, and a tropical storm warning was in effect for Trinidad.

Subsequently, a tropical storm warning was issued for the northern coast of Venezuela through the Guajira Peninsula of Colombia.

Two people died: one man trying to save his car, and one girl sleeping in her bed, when a tree fell on the roof above her room.

[10][11] On Barbados, officials closed schools and government buildings and prepared shelters prior to the arrival of the hurricane.

[4] Along the northern coastline of Venezuela, the hurricane produced heavy precipitation and a storm surge of about 13 feet (4.0 m), which damaged 60 homes.

[13] Sustained winds on Isla Margarita peaked at 26 mph (42 km/h), and the most affected states were Falcón, Vargas, Aragua, Carabobo, and Anzoátegui.

[14] Further inland, two people drowned when a river overflowed its banks,[15] and near Caracas a man died after strong winds toppled a wall.

[16] The combination of rainfall and winds destroyed 21 houses and blew off the roof of several others, affecting 1,376 people, of whom 80 were left homeless.

High winds blew away roof shingles and produced large swells that battered several coastal facilities.

A developing spiral band dropped heavy rainfall over Aruba, causing flooding and $1.1 million worth in structural damage.

[9] Ivan's passage either damaged or destroyed 85 percent of the structures on the island,[22] including the nation's emergency operations center[4] and a 17th-century prison, which allowed many inmates to briefly escape during the height of the storm.

[2] Storm surge and wave action caused beach erosion that severely damaged most coastal roads.

[2] Strong winds and rough surf caused moderate coastal damage to southern portions of Saint Lucia; the combination impacted houses near the coast and also led to losses in the banana crop.

A committee of Caribbean nations realized the local governments could not provide the support that Grenada needed in its aftermath, and thus turned to international assistance.

[30] In the weeks subsequent to the hurricane, the European Commission Humanitarian aid Office (ECHO) provided €3 million (2004 EUR).

By a year later, housing redevelopments and disaster preparation problems continued after being impacted by Hurricane Emily; as a result, the ECHO provided €1.2 million (2005 EUR) to Grenada in September 2005.

[34] Emergency operations in Grenada in coordination with the Pan American Disaster Response Unit ended in July 2005.

Severe looting occurred in the immediate aftermath of Ivan, prompting police officials to enact a curfew for the night hours.

[32] By two months after the hurricane struck, 65 schools were opened, some of which serving as shelters; water and power were gradually restored to the island.