All clear issued for all three Cayman Islands
(CNS): After a difficult night for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, the government issued the official all-clear at 11am Wednesday as Hurricane Rafael was churning into a major hurricane less than 50 miles off the Isle of Youth in Cuba. Residents are urged to remain mindful of potential hazards like fallen debris and downed power lines in roadways. Meanwhile, marine and coastal warnings remain in effect, and the public is asked to avoid coastlines where possible.
The full review of damage is now expected to get underway in the Sister Islands. There are no reported casualties but the Sister Islands were battered and bruised by torrential rains, strong winds and storm surge for several hours.
However, other than downed trees and powerlines and other general damage, early indications are that there is no major damage on either Cayman Brac or Little Cayman.
Officials said that Premier Juliana O’Connor, who represents Cayman Brac East, was expected to return to Radio Cayman today, her preferred platform of communication, where she will be talking about the recovery and post-storm needs of residents.
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Category: Science & Nature, Weather
Can someone tell me why the regiment left Cayman Brac so quick? Cayman Brac is a mess.
Still crazy that little Cayman is just being serviced at this time by one twin otter. While the other is in maintenance
They couldn’t have evacuated the island even if they wanted to
4 years in and this government and Bryan still can’t seem to buy another plane. They are utterly useless
People that live on the Sister Islands never want to evacuate. Those pieces of rock are their home. Their worst fear is leaving and not being able to get back home. I know. I am one of them. We will ride out whatever, wherever we can, and help each other afterward. Sister Islands are a different breed.
My friends in the U.S. always say, “you can come and stay with us!” They mean well, they really do. I would NEVER do that.
Since Rafael was approaching from the SE,I have to wonder why the dive boats in Little Cayman were not moved to the North side, Bloody Bay for safety. Crazy!
Rafael approached from the SW, and when it’s right over you, you get the wind from one direction, then the other. As you know if you were in it, the storm ramped up to Cat 1 before getting to the Sister Islands, and wandered around a bit more than the straight-line track indicates. It’s really a crapshoot where to put the boats, and personal vehicles and everything else. In the end, the owner of the craft makes a choice and hopes for the best.
You think they should be anchored in the open ocean rather than inside a reef protected lagoon? You not from around these parts, I assume.
*sea
Unnecessarily churlish correction.
It’s a correction and it’s a welcome one.
Clueless you are.
Go back to the Dagobah System, Yoda.
We may as well just shut down the schools for the entire annual summer rainy season period based on the logic shown this week.
Which would do wonders for the already terrific educational results that the government schools have been achieving.
Really? After what actually happened, and how much things changed and how rapidly the tracking and intensity changed, you’re still singing that same broken tune? Open your eyes. You can drive around in the storm or sit on the beach all you want, but if you are responsible for the safety of others, you have to make safe choices.
Insist that schools stay closed the day after the storm had already gone past Grand Cayman where no damage was caused?
Why did everyone in Little Cayman leave their boats in the water when we knew a hurricane was going to hit them?
See 11:26pm below
Incorrect 8:14am, the most probable causative factor is that boats of the size of the ones pictured have no haul out facilities/capabilities on Little Cayman (or even Cayman Brac) in a weather event such as this. One can be assured that those with sense who have trailerable boats hauled their boats out prior to the arrival of the inclement weather, specifically because they had that option to do so.
Insurance money
they won’t get it if they failed to take basic precautions.
Just before high season?
You seriously think “insurance money” is why there’s a boat on the beach and two on the ocean floor?
I’m pretty sure you can’t just walk up to Harbour House Marina, drop a quarter of a million dollar check and walk out with three 48 foot customized dive boats, but maybe I’m wrong.
With no safe anchorage in either of the Sister islands, how would they be expected to haul a ( 15 to 22 ton) vessel from the water with no Marine Travel Lift / Crane or Marina access?
Even to haul vessels of this size in Grand Cayman , limitations exist due to time available/ marina scheduling & logistics. Let alone L.C. & The Brac….
Haul out
Stupid is as stupid does
Must admit it never looked like it was coming here. Pure panic by ppl sorry.
Absolutely.
Out of an abundance of caution, we should probably keep the schools closed until at least Christmas break.
Why don’t people like you see that lives are saved by being careful? We never know what the storms will bring. This one is a perfect example.
Zero lives were saved by denying our children a education for two full days this week. Zero.
*an
Gawd forbid you have to actually spend some time with your children, right?
Wednesday should have been a school day, sure. However we were well within the cone of possibility for tropical storm (and potential hurricane, which it did develop into) force winds and if that hurricane had ticked a few miles west of where it did and school was open on Tuesday, you would have been the same people bitching and complaining that the government didn’t do enough to guarantee the safety of your precious irreplaceable crotchfruit. Making those decisions is a lose/lose situation, and they chose to err on the side of caution.
since when is school the sole means of children gaining an education?
Have you interacted with parents here?
Really? That’s your measure of worth, your kid’s two days of missed school versus the possibility of lost lives? I think the next storm, you should go down to the beach and hold up a big sign that reads, “I don’t think I’m in any danger, and I’m willing to stake my life on it.”
p.s., if you do this, please make sure another fool is there to film it, because, you know, youtubes and TikToks don’t make themselves. Plus, there’s always the Darwin Award for which to vie.
No rational minded person could justify forcing schools to close on Wednesday on Grand Cayman.
Lives lost 🤣🤣🤣. You need to go get yourself one.
What does it matter to extend the safety over the three islands?
Were you here for Paloma, which was forecast as a Cat 1 to go west of Grand Cayman? What did it do? It made a hard turn to the Sister Islands and intensified to a Cat 4. In the matter of a few hours. So, you shouldn’t mind if I just say STFU. Probabilities happen.
Yes I was here for Paloma. I was here for Ivan, Gilbert, Allen and all the rest as well.
Doesn’t change the fact that schools ion Grand Cayman had no business being closed on Wednesday.
So you SYFPH bobo
Does being careful include shutting down schools the day after the hurricane has already gone past the island with no damage or flooding?
Does being careful include forbidding the schools from opening the day after in spite of them volunteering to do so?
All clear from what exactly?
I think a review needs to be conducted as to why all the schools were shut in Grand Cayman on Wednesday in spite of there being barely any major rainfall or wind over the prior 48 hours.
I have heard reports of certain private schools and early childhood centers who had communicated that were ready to open as usual on Wednesday morning – but were then subsequently instructed by the Ministry to remain closed all day.
There can be no justification for denying children their education and forcing working parents into difficulties for no apparent reason.
This is unacceptable and the public deserves an explanation.
You are correct, they were instructed as such.
The question which needs to be answered here is on what legal authority was such an instruction issued?
You two thumbs downers want me to share the communication that states such? I don’t think you really do.
Juju in charge. Nothing to see here
The private schools would have been instructed to remain closed on Wednesday because if not, it would have drawn attention to the fact that there was no reason for government schools to be closed either and further highlight the continued ineptitude of the governmental education ministry.
Every business on the island was as per normal on Wednesday – except the schools. WHY??
I do believe you answered your own question in the sentence prior.
Grand cayman was never going to get anything….as predicted by anyone with a brain.
Or anyone forecasting Grand Cayman’s weather. This cost Cayman millions in lost productivity.
Of course, the Sister Islands were always going to be at the sharp end of this.
That’s why they are called “predictions” and “forecasts”, Skippy, because it ain’t written in stone. ANYthing can and does often happen. I sure as hell hope you are only responsible for you.