Savannah primary stays closed due to storm damage

| 09/11/2020 | 25 Comments
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service

(CNS): Savannah Primary School will not open on Tuesday due to significant damage sustained during Tropical Storm Eta on Saturday, the Ministry of Education has said. Government schools are due to reopen tomorrow, 10 November, even though some suffered damage in the form of minor leaks, broken fencing and torn vegetation. However, a release from the ministry said that this could be fixed while school is in session. But Savannah is a more severe case as it was hit by downed electricity and telephone pole lines.

Savannah primary is not expected to open until Monday, 16 November, education officials said. In addition to flooding and strong winds from Eta, there were reports of a tornado in the area.

“A post-storm assessment conducted by the Department of Education Services’ (DES) Facilities Unit and Government School Leaders revealed that several schools were impacted, primarily, by leaks and damage to vegetation and fencing,” the education ministry stated.

“The work required to address the minor damage will not impact teaching and learning. The Savannah Primary School was significantly impacted by downed electricity and telephone pole lines, damage to several areas of the roof, air conditioning units, fencing and the canteen area. As a result, the Savannah Primary School will remain closed to allow for the necessary repairs to be undertaken.”

During the school closure, students and teachers will switch to remote learning, officials said, adding that staff would be in touch with students and parents.

Many areas of Grand Cayman were damaged and flooded during the storm Saturday, and government is expected to give a full report later this week. While the Grand Cayman endured very strong winds and flooding, some areas also experienced short tornadoes, including Astral Way, Savannah, and other areas near to the primary school.



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Category: Education, Local News, Science & Nature, Weather

Comments (25)

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  1. Yah says:

    It’s actually starting to seem like it was more likelya microburst, which almost unbelievably seems just as or even more unpredictable, powerful and terrifying as tornados.

    The highest recorded windspeed of them is 160 mph but because of how random and localised they are. Wind measurements have rarely been taken of them but whatever could a break lightpoles in half with the little wind resistance lightpoles have is almost unfathomable.

    https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/wind/types/

    https://www.livescience.com/55912-microbursts.html

    See below examples of them being captured on videos:

    https://youtu.be/abMJHOBtZtE

    https://youtu.be/eSm3ywc_LIs

    No time to return to this article and join the debates best wishes to all the opponents from all angles. Hope you all win the same arguments.

    • Anonymous says:

      I live in Savannah, in the neighborhood behind Wendy’s. It hit our road just after 7am. It was terrifying. I watched as trees snapped in two and large branches were ripped off of trees and blown 10-20 feet away. This wasn’t even a hurricane. Micro-bursts are scary.

  2. Anonymous says:

    It’s Wednesday and they still haven’t started fixing the fence.

  3. Andy the Cornbread says:

    Wind tornadoes are frequently formed during tropical storms and hurricane and maybe responsible for this type damage but We can either BLAME It on the RAIN or stop stripping away our precious trees which act as a windbreak to strong winds if only we could get our idiotic govt with their idiotic population and development scam to comprehend this! the More damage they do to our environment = the More damage we are going to suffer to our infrastructure For Your Eyes Only Alden!

  4. Anonymous says:

    Are there requirements for educational facilities inspection such as
    *Structural integrity, Firesafety, Casualty Safety, Sanitation, On-Site Wells and Sewage Systems, Stormwater Drainage, Walks, Roads, Drives, and Parking Areas, Lighting etc.

    Where one can find such inspections requirements?

    Also, if inspections do take place annually, they must be dated, signed off by someone and publicly posted on school premises as well as online.

    CNS, are aware by any chance where to find it? Both, inspections requirements and annual inspections reports? Thank you.

    CNS: Sorry, I don’t know. Hopefully we have readers who are informed about this.

  5. Anonymous says:

    I don’t understand how a school could sustain significant damage during storm unless it is made of straws. One would assume that schools are built to withstand hurricane strength winds.

    • Anonymous says:

      You do realize that buildings age right? In other words, they get old. They are also man made, so they are not completely perfect.

      I swear some of you people find everything to complain about. Just be grateful it wasn’t worse and they are in the process of fixing the damage that was sustained. Good grief.

      • Anonymous says:

        Nice try. Aging is not a valid excuse. Schools, especially designated as shelters must be in a top notch state at all times. They must be inspected annually for structural integrity, for fire safety etc.
        I would really like to see annual maintenance expenses for this school. Not as a line item, but detailed.

        • Anonymous says:

          You do realize that regardless of all the checks in the world things can still sustain damage right? If a tree falls on a roof, it can be damaged. If winds are strong enough, damage can occur. If tornadoes pass through, damage ensues. The school was damaged, get over it. It is being fixed, stop harping on every little thing. You must be real fun to deal with on the regular. Smh.

      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah, everyone wants to be a civil engineer these days and dictate their Google doctorates.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Thought Savannah’s representative had the best connections?

  7. Anonymous says:

    A disgrace. They have had three days to fix the fence.

    • Anonymous says:

      Oh dear God, please shut the hell up 7:20. If they rush repairs and something happens to a student or faculty you would be b*tching abut that too. This is a school, the damaged sustained needs to be repaired properly so that it is safe for students. Suck it up and be a parent for a week, it won’t kill you.

    • Anonymous says:

      Smh, oh sorry damages are not fixed on your timeline. Swine…

  8. Anonymous says:

    Silver lining of having all schools/students prepared for ‘learn from home’ due to COVID. It also works for other emergency situations a well.

    (Leaving aside discussion of the problems with home learning, which we all know. At least its an option as opposed to … whatever else would have had to be tried with less preparation.)

  9. Anonymous says:

    So nobody knows for sure if there indeed were tornadoes? How could that be?

    • Anonymous says:

      It’s unlikely but not impossible.

    • Anonymous says:

      Tornadoes are likely in hurricanes, but small and localised, so you have to be looking out at the right spot at the right time with your camera ready and have a clear view (neither trees nor rain, etc.) as opposed to hunkered down waiting for the wind to blow past. Storm chasers get video, the rest of us storm avoiders just see the aftermath.

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