NEOC activated and roads closed due to flooding
(CNS): The National Emergency Operations Centre was partially activated Monday to provide coordinated and tactical relief to people affected by flooding in Grand Cayman. Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) is leading a collaboration of offices, including the RCIPS, the Cayman Islands Coast Guard, the CI Fire Service, the Emergency Medical Services, the Cadet Corps and the Cayman Regiment to ensure safe evacuations of low-lying areas, officials said.
To reduce the risk of collisions, the public was also asked to stay off the roads as many are heavily flooded, making travel hazardous. If driving is necessary, motorists are asked to drive slowly and turn on their headlights.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) is working to manage and mitigate the flood impact, but several roads in and around George Town have been closed as a result of the extensive flooding. The banks announced that they would be closing early to help people get home safely. Although the heavy rains were moving away by the afternoon, the Linford Pierson Highway was still closed in both directions, as well as Agnes Way. East Boulevard and Windsor Park Road were also both close at Walker’s Road junctions.
Monday’s evening commute is expected to be challenging due to roads being closed, in particular the LPH, and because many other roads, such as Shamrock Road, remain flooded. Police are also warning drivers that a large hole has opened on Printers Way in George Town and drivers are asked to avoid the area.
The Department of Vehicle and Driver’s Licensing (DVDL) Crewe Road office was closed as the main building, particularly the customer lobby, was flooded, presenting “significant safety risks and liabilities”, officials said. “Due to the water damage, the facility is currently unsafe for operations. Unfortunately, our outer district offices are also closed on Mondays.”
It’s not yet certain whether the office will resume normal hours of operation on Tuesday, but pending further developments, officials said they were aiming to reopen sometime tomorrow.
The Cayman Islands Red Cross on Huldah Avenue is currently open to anyone requiring emergency shelter, and a secondary shelter opened at the East End Civic Centre at 1:30pm. Medical responders will be on-site to provide care where necessary at the shelters. All Health Services Authority (HSA) locations, including District Health Centres, remained open Monday, but those unable to make an appointment due to weather were asked to contact the clinic to reschedule or to travel with caution to and from appointments.
The Ministry of Education and the Department of Education Services said all public schools would dismiss students at the regularly scheduled time on Monday, and bus services were expected to operate as scheduled.
However, several areas are still experiencing or at risk of flooding, which may affect student drop-off. Bus drivers will assess the situation, and where it is deemed unsafe to drop off students, especially younger children, where no one is there to receive them, the children will be returned to their respective schools. Parents and guardians were asked to meet their children off the buses.
For families residing in flood-prone areas, specifically Randyke Gardens, Windsor Park, Prospect and Red Bay, the Cayman Islands Regiment will be on hand to help those children arrive safely home. “We will continue to closely monitor the weather situation in coordination with the Cayman Islands National Weather Service.”
Officials said an update will be provided by 7:00pm tonight if conditions warrant any changes to school operations tomorrow.
Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said the government was adequately prepared to offer support during the current flooding situation. “NEOC has been partially activated to ensure that there is a tactical and coordinated response by all relevant agencies who are both trained and experienced in providing emergency relief,” she said.
“I ask the public to remain vigilant and supportive of each other as we go through the next few hours. It is our actions in such times that demonstrate the true strength of our community. Please stay tuned to official government channels and comply with the advice being given,” she added.
Regiment officers are currently being deployed to the areas most affected, namely Windsor Park, Randyke Gardens and Tropical Gardens, to conduct assessments and advise on additional NEOC activities.
Meanwhile, the Cayman Islands Bankers’ Association said all local retail banks were closing early and encouraged people to use electronic banking services. “CIBA and its Member Retail Banks support and encourage your adherence to the Cayman Islands Government guidance to ensure safety,” the association stated.
Cayman Airways said that weather-related delays from across the weekend have continued to impact flight operations today, as inclement weather persisted at Owen Roberts International Airport on Grand Cayman. But for passengers who wish to change their travel plans, Cayman Airways will waive applicable change fees, and fare difference, for travel at a later date. Passengers who wish to cancel their trip will be offered a full refund. Conditions apply and for more details visit www.caymanairways.com.
The skies remained cloudy and overcast Monday afternoon, with showers and thunder continuing, and one to 1.5 inches of rainfall is anticipated through this evening, with slightly higher isolated maximums of two to three inches possible over Grand Cayman.
Less than one inch of rain is expected for the Sister Islands. A small craft warning is still in effect as winds will be southeast to south at 15 to 20 knots with higher gusts in and around heavy thunder. Seas will be rough, with wave heights of four to six feet.
For official government updates, visit caymanprepared.ky, gov.ky and CIG social media channels. Residents are reminded to register and install the National Emergency Notification System or NENS app. Visit www.nens.gov.ky for instructions.
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Category: Science & Nature, Weather
pathetic
It was funny to watch cars turning into Agnes way only to find the road closed and having to turn around. The road closed signs could have been placed to prevent cars turning into it, but hey that would have been orderly and we can’t have that now.
Oh and the RCIPS app showed absolutely nothing about road closures. Just a banner that said ‘watch this space’. How much useless could this be?
World class!
Backslapping capital of the world
CIG failed horribly yesterday. Schools should have been closed.
As pointed out by someone else, in order to be conforming to the law they have no more wiggle room. If they close again, they’d have to add it to the school calendar. This would cause rioting by staff who have already booked flights, there would hardly be any kids in, and it would make DES look incompetent. We know that isn’t allowed to happen, so the safety of the kids was second to saving of face.
DES need no assistance in making themselves look incompetent.
With or without climate change, with unchecked development and the clearing of mangroves, this is to be expected and will only get worse.
Don’t think about that! Hush now and read our press release!!!
“For families residing in flood-prone areas, specifically Randyke Gardens, Windsor Park, Prospect and Red Bay, the Cayman Islands Regiment will be on hand to help those children arrive safely home. “We will continue to closely monitor the weather situation in coordination with the Cayman Islands National Weather Service.”
Errr, what about the children going east?
Hurricane season is the same time every year so no excuse for the poor planning. Government need to do better yesterday was a s**t show & Humane Society need to move from their current location and NOT to West Bay. God help those poor dogs if they do…
Lack of engineering while building new roads.
All this development created new and more terrible flooding and this was just a rain event.
Where is the national flood plan? If there is one, why is not enforced?
The answers are found by following the money.
You can’t engineer being 4 feet above sea level. New construction, roads are making low lying areas even more flood prone. Unless we fill the whole island to 10 feet above MSL this will keep happening.
But you can engineer in swales; no excuse for a highway through the swamp to be shut for floods when its, as you point out, higher than the adjoining land. That wasn’t floods coming onto the road, that was bad road engineering. #DeepWellsInsufficient
Speak up! Can’t hear you over the roar of the diggers and dozers filling in these swamps for more homes for rich expats!!!
Yup. And they want to build the next stage – East/West Arterial – through more swamp with less engineering (no EIA) on their part. No EIA? Brilliant! That can’t go wrong for the rest of us.
5:19 pm you are being lenient some storms can dump a few feet of rain easy ! hopefully we don’t encounter those type of rain makers anytime soon, not judging by what happened today or it will be a sad day for this island
Oops. It turns out that building roads through mangroves just creates a dam (and destroys all prospect of natural drainage as well as environmental harm).
Solution – get rid of the mangroves.
WOW!
Just a few inches of rain.
We’re all in for a real surprise this hurricane season. With a few inches short of a foot of rain and surges well over that.
Hopefully we don’t have that, but we do live in a hurricane zone.
It wasnt a few inches; it was 6 inches. That’s a lot of rain in 12 hours.
Not for the tropics. Maybe for the some of the Canadian planners making the big decisions, but no Caymanian thought what happened yesterday was particularly exceptional.
Average MONTHLY rainfall in Cayman during May to November is around 7 inches. So almost a full month of rain in one day.
yes. Not exceptional. Seems to happen every couple of years.
A 1 in 50 year flood is exceptional. A 1 in 5 year flood? You should plan for that.
4 inches on Sunday and another 6 inches on Monday. 10 inches in 48 hours. There I did the hard math for ya.
LOL. Gotta rationalize those big salaries somehow.