All-clear given for Grand Cayman as Beryl rolls away
(CNS): The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has now given the all-clear for all three Cayman Islands after the shelter-in-place direction was lifted for Grand Cayman at 1:00pm and the hurricane warnings discontinued. However, residents are urged to exercise caution when going outdoors and to take necessary safety precautions. Rough seas are still expected today and Friday and thunderstorms are anticipated for Grand Cayman throughout the day.
Preliminary damage assessments have taken place and debris clearance is underway.
CUC has confirmed that the transmission network on the island’s eastern end has been damaged. Crews are currently patrolling the area and will provide an update at the earliest opportunity. Water Authority assessments are ongoing and restoration is in progress, while the Cayman Water Company has completed its assessment and said that no issues have been reported.
Officials said that emergency services teams have been deployed and the RCIPS helicopter will take to the skies for an ariel assessment now that the all-clear has been given. The Department of Environment is also using drones to take footage to assess damage across the island.
“Our first hurricane message of the season called for a culture of readiness, and as we mark the passage of Hurricane Beryl with no loss of life, the Cayman Islands seems to have attained that culture,” Governor Jane Owen said after she went through her first hurricane.
“We have a long and active season still ahead, so we are asking the community to remain vigilant, keep supplies stocked and remain informed by our official government channels.” Owen added that the Royal Navy vessel HMS Trent is en route to the Cayman Islands.
All non-essential government offices in Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands will remain closed today, and updates will be provided on reopening times as they become available.
Grand Cayman is expected to have overcast skies with widespread thunderstorms throughout the day. Flooding in multiple areas is expected, which will lessen by this evening as Hurricane Beryl moves further away from the Cayman area. Extremely rough seas, significant swells, and a possible chance of storm surge have peaked and should subside by this evening.
Rough seas are still expected through Friday. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service noted that a marine warning is in place as seas will remain dangerous for marine activity of any kind. The public should stay away from coastlines and from venturing into water.
Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said that now the all-clear has been given, people need to look to their neighbours to see what help they need. She urged people to nevertheless remain cautious and vigilant as the post-storm phase begins.
O’Connor-Connoll applauded the NEOC for the swift, strategic and effective delivery of services and the work of the National Weather Service, Hazard Management Cayman Islands, Department of Communications and Radio Cayman in keeping the community safe and informed at every phase of the storm threat.
See the latest broadcast on the all-clear from the premier and governor on CIGTV here.
See video of a pier in Frank Sound during the hurricane (from social media) below:
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Category: Science & Nature, Weather
Owen Roberts International Airport during Hurricane Beryl (from social media)
I realize this picture may have come from another less reputable social media site, but the angle of the support under the arch, the general size of the arch, the cranes in the background, and several other oddities makes me suspect this is not Owen Roberts Airport. That’s like copying answers from the dumbest kid in the class just because he is sitting next to you in a quiz.
Been wondering about that myself. Where would it have been taken from, and was that area flooded to that extent?
Sailing club in Red Bay. The water is called North Sound.
From that angle it would have been taken from Tropical Gardens and no is the answer to your second question.
Before you start throwing shade – perhaps you should try looking at it again. The supports under the arch are entirely consistent with the arch pattern you see on stock photos of Owen Roberts, as are the three triangular supports pattern. I would say the picture is taken from the the South of the runway, probably around Palm Dale Avenue. Looking left to right on the picture you have the main arch, the communications mast on Breezy Way, and the crane you are so suspicious of is probably on the building site down by the wharf. The angles would match.
Imagine that level of flooding at the airport yet the CIAA board approved the plan to build the general aviation terminal closer to the sea and in the swamp. Incompetence is a serious thing.
I am an ‘older person’, I have seen many storms and hurricanes. With each passing year it seems more and more people go into panic mode. This is the tropics, hurricanes will come, they always have and always will. Prepare each year and for goodness sake stop buying up all the grocery items in one go. Each shopping trip before the season buy canned or dry food for hurricane storage. It doesn’t take long to build an adequate supply. Older Caymanians (generally) do not panic or choke up the roads, they prepare. New residents should be made to go to training on how to prepare for a hurricane.
The best storm surge indicator is when your feet feel wet.
Tourism board also posted 7 minutes after govt gave all clear that it was not safe to be out
An unmitigated disaster. Far too many shops closed early and for nothing more than a strong rain.
Obviously you were not around for Grace.
You are an entitled idiot. We had a major hurricane heading our way. A slight jog to the north and we would have been severely impacted. The people who work in the shops need to get home to prepare for the storm, not cater to your sorry unprepared ass until 10 minutes before the storm hits. People of your ilk being allowed on this island is an unmitigated disaster.
Silly comment. The eye of a cat 3 hurricane passed 49 miles south of cayman. The cat 3 winds extended up to 45 miles from the centre, we were within 4 miles of catastrophic impacts. People need time to close up and prepare.
The Czar is almost as dumb as the MP.
Guess where lost power?
Wherever a power line went down!
Bury those damn lines
I have to wonder where you were all getting your information from. I got updates every few hours on the government WhatsApp channel which was absolutely brilliant.
The response both before during and after the storm was simply outstanding. Kudos to all.
Unfortunately we live in a world where we make decisions based on who we like not about what’s right.
The govt has a whatsapp channel?! Why isn’t it publicised?
11:43 come on!! You can join from http://www.gov.ky.
We are supported by a world class civil service.
You have to know about it to join it!
Well done to all who did the jobs they are compensated for, as the rest of us do each and every day.
1pm. Really?
The vast majority of public servants are not compensated for working around the clock to keep you safe. They do it because they care! Why don’t you become a volunteer?
The vast majority of civil servants don’t work around the clock. Over 3000 civil servants. All of whom paid well, some exceptionally so, and who enjoy medical and pension provision that the private sector can only dream of. Working for the civil service is hardly a charitable endeavour or noble sacrifice.
They are servants of nothing. They are paid government employees.
From someone who uses the word ‘Kudos’.
Such a vile word.
Just be normal and say congratulations. I know it is longer and harder to spell, but just try it.
1:01 so ungrateful….poor you.
3:16 I thought the performance of our civil service was world class. I have never felt more
Prepared and informed in my time here in Cayman, some 25 years.
I saw the map you referred to which was quickly reissued.
The wrong map was up for several key hours at a time when people needed to critical decisions to protect life and property. It is simply inexcusable that the wrong map was posted in the first place. But to stay up as long as it did shows unbelievable incompetence. Stop making lame excuses for poor performance.
Good morning, Very positive to read how the Cayman government and residents are prepared and working to clean up and reconstruct. In your opinion and experience, how quickly will the island return to normal, with supplies, provisions, and tourism?
We are pretty much back to normal, with a very few exceptions. If you are planning a visit, do go ahead. We are open for business as pr normal.
Everything is more or less back to normal already. You might have some trouble finding batteries, sardines, cans of tuna and stuff like that until next week though!
why did cig weather website only show one storm update 12 hours before the storm hit? this info should be updated every 3 hours.
No kidding. Game day finally comes and they are off the pitch, at home on the sofa.
More like on their knees doing as the premier told them to do pray, pray, pray. SMH
8:08 you got that wrong. You were on your couch enjoying the safely provided to you while our civil servants was working thought out the night to keep you safe. How ungrateful.
They had the same weather forecast up since Monday. They only changed it on Thursday morning when people who had eyes could see for themselves what the weather was. But the ironic part is – what they put up on Thursday morning was WRONG! It said 50-60 knot winds!
That is absolutely untrue. You are making up crap to smear the wx service.
I don’t depend upon them, because I’ve learned in this life to trust my own analysis, and that of the NHC, if I’m to trust anyone. However I watched the local weather service as well as other sites, and what I saw mostly mirrored the NHC. I didn’t once observe them lagging behind. Not once.
Their forecast remained the same for days. I saw it with my own eyes. I kept checking because I have family arriving on Saturday and wanted to tell them what it would be like when they arrived. At one point, the five-day forecast was only three days because they hadn’t updated it. The forecast for the day of the hurricane said 40-50 knot winds all they way up until Thursday morning, when they changed it AFTER Beryl had already passed Grand Cayman to 50-60 knot winds. Why are you lying for them? Do yuu have family working there?
7:52 you mean you didn’t look at the Doppler radar site, or download the hazard management app or finally subscribe to the governments WhatsApp channel. ??!
I was super impressed with DEH who must have been severely stretched before the storm with everyone cleaning up their properties. They were out immediately after the storm.
Perhaps 7:52 should consider leaving the island before the next storm.
the whats app channel updates were poor. also the adhoc blackberry app download only sent one message after the storm was done….the update did not give correct information for most of the storm. very poor effort
12:21 simply not true. What a sad world you live in. Shame on you.
what was not true? please tell me. I am looking at the one message- stating all clear…nothing else. the updates that i am talking about were on the whats app page. i am looking at all the messages right now plus the deleted ones….shame on you
7:52 sounds like you need a lesson in using the internet.
A lot of us are too busy to trawl for channels to subscribe to!
Congratulations and well done to the Hazard Management Unit, the cluster managers and the multi agencies involved in keeping these islands safe and keeping the lights on!
Looking at the government’s response overall, I would give it at best a C-. The National Weather Service failed to update their official forecast for four days, only doing so Thursday morning after the storm had passed. Someone in the government posted the wrong storm surge map that was almost opposite to the right one with regard to George Town. Elected officials and Eric Bush issued statements full of platitudes and not much else. I will tell you who deserves an A+ though: both CUC and the Water Authority. They communicated well and did a great job. And, and I can’t believe I am saying this, the Department of Environmental Health deserves an A for getting out right after the all clear and getting the garbage collected from the places they didn’t get to earlier in the week.
Water Authority screwed up by announcing their cut off time and creating panic, every last eejit went fi shit and showa same time.
Do you think it is better for them not to give anyone any warning and then just cut it off? Boy am I glad you’re not in charge of the Water Authority. And in any case, when it became clear that the threat of water surge was much later, the Water Authority extended the time until 11pm, which should have given all the panicked people who failed to prepare properly a chance to fill up their bathtubs or whatever.
Just admit it, you screwed up.
Screwed up how? I had my water sorted hours before!
Remind us all again what time Cayman Water shut off their customers.
And what would you say if WAC had cut it off and didnt announce it
I wouldn’t have said anything and I would have used all the water I stored hours prior.
I hope that whoever the idiot was in the government that was responsible for posting the wrong storm surge map for several hours last night is held accountable. This is an unacceptable error that could have cost lives. World class civil servants? This was a world class f***-up that shouldn’t go unpunished.
I do my own research lol
One is left to wonder how many sets of $$$$$$ eyes that diagram went past before it was sent out? It’s unclear what value is delivered from HMCI, if they can’t even reason-test their own work before it goes out the door, when it really matters the most.
How no one spotted that area known as the “Central Mangrove Wetland” is not at risk of storm surge is hilarious.