Living through Ivan, remembering the storm
(CNS): As Hurricane Helene, which passed the Cayman Islands as a tropical storm, slams Florida with Category 4 winds and up to 20-foot storm surge, we can reflect on how we have once again dodged a major bullet. We weren’t always so lucky. In September 2004, Grand Cayman was hit by Hurricane Ivan, and four years later, in November 2008, Hurricane Paloma swept over the Sister Islands.
But many people living in the Cayman Islands today have not experienced a major storm and may not be prepared.
In an exclusive interview with CNS, retired DoE chief enforcement officer Ladner Watler recalls how he and his family survived Ivan and the sudden rising water. Eight adults, one of them pregnant, and two children managed to escape the storm surge in a boat that was in his carport.
With two more months of the current Atlantic hurricane season to go, Watler is urging people to take storms seriously and get to higher ground if a major storm is on its way here. He also believes that anyone living here should learn to swim because it might just save their life.
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Category: Local News, Science & Nature, Weather
I agree 100 percent to what 1033am said, and I am one of those that Mr. Watler rescued.
I will forever be indebted and grateful to Mr. Ladner, he truly deserves our National Hero status for the many rescues, some (like mine) in very rough weather.
I learnt from Poloma, I built a strong house on Brac bluff .
It was nearly impossible to get a flight out during the onset of Ivan. I remember a friend that had a booked ticket well in advance of Ivan and he could not get out.
Ivan was headed for Jamaica which would have weakened it for Cayman. Mother Nature had another plan, leaving residents and the airlines scrambling.
At least in Florida you can get in your car well in advance of the warnings, and drive!
Hurricane Ivan was already a Category 5 cyclone before making landfall in Grenada in the eastern Caribbean. Even in those days we had good forecast info, NHC, Weather Underground etc, with many many days to understand what was coming, what might happen if the outer bands glanced us (as was the tracking modeling at the time), and what would likely happen to power lines, during a less resilient period of CUC history. Those that stayed-put and rode out Ivan, did so because they were gamblers and stubborn, against shelter evacuation orders. They were not being guided by the information at hand, or the warnings issued. Their stories of failure are not good examples of what to emulate. The pregnant mother, children and whoever was responsible for them, should have relocated them somewhere out of the path, on any of the dozens of evacuation flights that preceded the storm. Above Cat 3, everyone should do their best to secure their property, and then bug out far away, coming back after the all-clear. That was the teachable moment from Ivan – one that far too few have learned, even after firsthand experience and 20 years of Ivan-related PTSD. Swimming is not a good hurricane fallback plan, when boarding a prior flight was on offer.
Absolute rubbish.
Ivan was not cat 5 before Grenada. It hit at 120 mph although it had peaked at 135mph 2 days before.
it hit cat 5 level with Aruba.
I lost intrest after I read that.
Chill pill bro.
Ivan was notably huge Cat 4 long before Eastern Caribbean, and also Cat 5 long before Cayman. Here is the history: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Ivan_2004_path.png
Yeah it was ONLY a Cat 4. So that invalidates the OPs comments ? You are a bit of a pedant aren’t you. BTW it was a Cat 4 when it Cayman too.
And your point is? Must be nice to be you. Not everyone can afford to evacuate. No one could have imagined what Ivan did. Houses that were safe in previous storms did not withstand Ivan. People now know where the flood zones are. Point is this man’s courage and wisdom saved people. Who have you saved? Obviously the people thought they were safe where they were. They weren’t the only ones taken by surprise. Such a know it all.
There were nearly empty charter 737s flying out all over the place, and with pets. I helped organize some of them, also sent planes back with med supplies, doctors, water, generators, and to take folks out that we could line up. Canada sent a number of planes both before and after. Several Cayman-based businesses charptered planes. These flights definitely happened, because the only part of Ivan that was a surprise was the final tracking for a direct hit. We all wish it wasn’t.
Thank you so much for sharing that you are a person of privilege and ignorant of these people’s situation. I can only deduce that you are an expatriate but if you are a Caymanian, you should be ashamed.
That pregnant woman was in University at the time and could not afford the flights or hotel to another country. Moreover, she and many others like her were unable to fly due to being past the timeframe to fly safely (she was nine months along).
Besides that, Mr Ladner Watler and two of the other men highlighted, were considered emergency response workers being employed at DOE, RCIPS and CAL – they couldn’t leave as it is part of their jobs to assist people and the airline in emergency situations.
And they also opted to stay in the area because the forecast was that it was going to be slightly north and the Sister Islands would have received the worst hit. Ivan eventually passed about 30/40 miles south of Grand Cayman and like many families, this one in particular did not know the storm surge would have been this high.
After having lived in the Cayman Islands all our lives and knowing the flood areas, and being experienced in expected the levels of surge, none of us knew the entire grand cayman would be removed from the map from the level of flooding that occurred during Ivan. Let me remind you that these Islands had not experienced a Cat 5 storm since 1932!
Yes hindsight is 20/20 but even in the Hurricane Ivan documentary, the Met Office said they learned lessons from Ivan – hence the Government’s now overly protective and proactive communication for every storm.
With your callous and uninformed comments you would have sought to (whether calculated or ignorantly) minimize the horrible experiences these people went through – nay – the horrible experiences the people of this country went through during Hurricane Ivan.
I suggest you go a find a lovely place to go relax and shut up, perhaps where the sun don’t shine.
And with that I say – good day!
‘Those that stayed-put and rode out Ivan, did so because they were gamblers and stubborn, against shelter evacuation orders.’
Not a gambler, nor stubborn. Talk about yourself and not others you know nothing about!
Absolute legend and true Caymanian hero! Thank you Mr. Watler! Many people around Cayman are here today because you saved their lives.
Nice to read the kind remarks about my kinfolk Ladner Watler
Nancy watler. houston