Good Luck Cayman Islands

It sounds as though you guys are going to get hit pretty hard by Ivan...you're in our thoughts and prayers. :(

I pray that all will stay safe. God be with you all!

Jacquelyn :D

Stay safe and may God keep you in his hands. :)

Misty

WE were there this past August and had the best time ever. Hope you all stay safe, and sound. You are in out thoughts and prayers.

Please be safe, Cayman folks. And know that you're in our thoughts and prayers.

my youngest sister Allison lives on the caymans islands she and her husband work there

My mom and us are worried about how they will fare in this latest attack from the hurricane a sits a huge one again

last I heard from my mom Allison is operating a pet shelter on grand cayman gues its easier to be helping others wile waiting to be hit by the hurricane and not knowing if your home or business will survive

we re praying for you dear sis

The stormcarrib.com site reports 20 foot waves hitting Cayman with water up to almost 2nd story in some "downtown" buildings. The island is taking a beating with massive flooding, roofs down and wastewater treatment plant breached. Last post from there (this is a network of "hurricane watchers" on islands throughout the tropics) was about 2 hours ago as best I can tell from the time on the message board.. They definitely need our prayers .. the main island especially isso flat it is taking a massive hit.

We were just there on Sept. 1. I hope everyone is safe and doesn't have too much damage. It is a beautiful island.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/100232.shtml?

Reported at 2:00PM EDT:

... STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...

ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES... CAN BE EXPECTED

IN PORTIONS OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS...DEPENDING ON THE EXACT TRACK OF

IVAN. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 20 TO 25 FEET...LOCALLY

HIGHER...ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS

BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE

CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN CUBA. REPORTS FROM HAM RADIO OPERATORS AND

THE CAYMAN METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE INDICATE THAT POWER IS OUT

THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND...NUMEROUS BUILDINGS HAVE LOST THEIR

ROOFS...WATER UP TO 2 FEET DEEP COVERS THE AIRPORT RUNWAY...AND

WATER AS HIGH AS 5 FEET IS FLOWING THROUGH MANY HOMES.

 

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...POSSIBLY CAUSING LIFE-

THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES...CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG

THE PATH OF IVAN.

Here is a link to the cayman port website w/live cam pictures updated every 2 minutes.

http://www.caymanport.com/

I haven't seen any update to these pictures, and it should be dark there now. They probably have turned off the cameras and/or moved them to safety.

I think you are right on the cayman port pictures. Who knows when they were last shot? I heard on the weather channel that all of the caymans had no electricity right now, so they probably were at the beginning of the hurricane. Sorry. Maybe we'll hear more tomorrow.

my sister Allison called my mom to let her know she is ok

they have lost both their cars not srue how her condo is yet I bet not good as is ground floor

but she is ok

I have heard that Grand Cayman and Georgetown had a lot of damage. It doesn't look good. My heart goes out to the people in Grand Cayman. It is one of my favorite islands and we will be there again in January.

Those web cams weren't showing anything because power was out throughout the entire island yesterday during Ivan's visit.

Val, I'm glad you got word from your sister. Your family must be relieved. Cars are replaceable, sisters aren't.

If you get any more word from her about the island etc, could you please pass it on? The news is very spotty about the Caymans. Part of it may be that it's hard to get info due to the lack of electricity, but I think it's because they are concentrating on when it will hit the US and where.

It sounds really, really bad.

http://www.caymannetnews.com/2004/09/738/imagination.shtml

Grand Cayman: ‘Devastation beyond imagination’

Monday, September 13, 2004

At 9 am local time on Monday, as the first reports of the full extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Ivan began to come in, the early morning scene has been described as ‘devastation beyond imagination’.

 

Mariners Cove, an apartment building at Spotts on the south side of Grand Cayman, has been blown down by the wind completely across the road, blocking all traffic. Extensive damage has also been reported at Ocean Club, another apartment complex in the same area.

 

Just about every house on the island has lost part or all of its roof, in some cases the debris landing on the roofs of adjacent buildings.

 

Cars and boats have been swept by floodwaters into the roadways.

 

Some homes have been completely gutted by the wind and floodwater, with entire contents being swept across the streets. In some houses it is possible to see a high water mark on the walls, evidencing flooding of some 4 to 5 feet.

 

Whole sections and floors of some apartment buildings have completely disappeared.

 

Emergency services are experiencing difficulties in responding to requests for assistance because of communications difficulties. Some Cable & Wireless cellular phones are still working sporadically; all other providers have lost service.

 

Cayman Net News reporters are currently trying to make their way around the island to report on the damage at first hand and further details will be published as soon as circumstances and communications permit.

 

In a separate report, local journalist Paulette Connolly said on Monday that Hurricane Ivan ripped through the Cayman Islands tearing away homes and other building like "match sticks".

 

In a live interview on Citadel Radio on Monday, Connolly said that there had been reports of people being killed during the passage of the category five storm that had trucks and cars "floating like toys".

 

"The winds ripped the apartments like match sticks, the whole island has taken a battering. Cars and trucks were floating away like toys," she said, adding that the storm had battered the island for more than eight hours on Sunday.

 

Connolly said that while there had been no official death toll, "residents were calling the radio stations to report about deaths."

 

She said the authorities were on Monday using bulldozers and other heavy equipment in a bid to clear roads that had been under 20 feet of water when the waves rushed through the streets on the island.

 

"I don't know when the Cayman Islands will ever be like it was before, " she said noting that the British Dependent Territory was now looking to Britain for assistance in the aftermath of the hurricane that has killed at least 60 people during its passage through the Caribbean.

 

Connolly said that the buildings in the Cayman Islands, known internationally for its banking system, had been constructed under strict building codes and it was "indescribable" the manner in which the buildings were blown away.

 

She said that the hurricane shelters that were constructed to withstand winds of more than 200 miles per hour had been badly damaged.

 

"It is unimaginable. We are devastated. The sea went through apartments," the journalist, clearly emotional, said.

Here is a link to the StormCarib web site that is posting first-hand reports of the massive devastation on Grand Cayman Island. We have only been there twice but enjoyed our time there very much. How long will it be until the island can recover from this tragedy? A very sad time.

http://www.stormcarib.com/reports/2004/cayman.shtml

Definitely sounds like it will take awhile to clean things up. I read somewhere that the roof at Foster's grocery store was ripped off.

Love Grand Cayman. I was there for a few days a couple of years ago during TS Isidore, which was bad enough. Can't imagine the destruction of Ivan.

Val, glad to hear your sister is okay. My best wishes to her & everyone in the Caymans.

Thanks to EVERYONE who has posted with sites and information on the Cayman Islands! Val, please keep us up-dated on your sister.

Here is a link to the StormCarib web site that is posting first-hand reports of the massive devastation on Grand Cayman Island. .... A very sad time.

 

http://www.stormcarib.com/reports/2004/cayman.shtml

Frugalist .... Noticed this was your FIRST post. Thank you for taking the time to give us this especially helpful and informative site.

" ... Cars and trucks floating down the main street of Georgetown as if they were toys ...." was one of the many reports from this site on the horrid destruction of Ivan the Terrible! :(

Our thoughts and prayers are with ALL in the path of Ivan!

OCruisers :(

From caymannetnews.com:

...At one point the entire island seemed to be swamped by a tidal surge that could have been up to 15 or even 20 feet high...

http://caymannetnews.com/2004/09/738/catastrophic.shtml

From Bloomberg.com:

...The island was for a time split into two, as the ocean swept across the west coast at Seven Mile Beach...

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=apXIpr6BvqOA&refer=top_world_news

I'd read another report that had said the building codes in the Cayman Islands were stricter than on a lot of the other islands. I'll have to admit, that made me think that perhaps they fared better than Grenada, but after reading these two articles, I just don't know anymore.

mconthehighseas the cleave OCruisers thanks for your thoughts about my sister Allison

I just spoke with my mom on messenegr briefly as she was eating dinner and heading out

Allison s place was not too bad they are taking in people from the Hyatt as it was damaged as well sheltering a lot animal

I have an email I will go read and post more there soon as I get a chance

that was one bad hurricane I remeber they said francess was one of the worse but Ivan was terrible

I will post soon and thanks DannyS and others for news you have too on cayman island

Hope this goes through ok its huge my mom sent this to me in an email

ok the pictures didnt go through

it wont work that way so I will go to each individual article n post

Cayman Islands Government Press Release

Monday, September 13, 2004

The Government of the Cayman Islands issued a press release as of 2 pm EDT on Monday, which reports that, at this moment in time, Hurricane Ivan has caused no reported casualties in the Cayman Islands.

There has been extensive water damage to a number of buildings, but the vast majority remain structurally sound. The country's housing stock has also been impaired. The electricity supply, which was turned off before the hurricane hit, has been affected, and the electricity company is working to re-establish the lines and pylons. Mobile phones are now being reconnected.

The Cayman Islands Government (CIG) is focusing on four priority areas:

Securing the storm shelters -- ensuring people are safe, warm and have food.

Clearing the roads of debris and restoring essential services.

Working with HMS Richmond and the Auxiliary Ship Wave Runner. Both ships are currently offshore, and the Captain of HMS Richmond is preparing the ship's helicopter to undertake a test flight. If the test flight is successful aerial surveillance will begin, allowing an effective assessment of priorities.

Ensuring safety and security. The police will be assisted by personnel of HMS Richmond.

The supermarkets have supplies that have not been spoiled by rain or flood water, and will reopen as soon as possible. The CIG is working to reopen the banks and to ensure the economy begins to function as normal as soon as possible.

The absolute priority of the Cayman Islands Government is to ensure the Islands get back on their feet. The Cabinet Secretary, Orrett Connor, said: "The Cayman Islands has picked itself up from hurricanes in the past. There is a tremendous team spirit here, and we are working together to rebuild and regroup. We are absolutely determined to be back in business extremely quickly."

The Government is working to ensure continuity in the Islands' financial services industry and will aim for the tourism sector to be back in business as soon as possible.

The airport is back in restricted use, with a Cayman Airways plane flying in from Miami this afternoon. The Air Traffic Control tower is operational. There is no further update, at the moment, about the resumption of commercial flights.

As soon as more information becomes available, the Department of Tourism New York office will be disseminating this. Please DO NOT overload the already stretched resources of the Government and emergency personnel by trying to call the Islands directly for an update.

next article from the newspaper email my mom sent

Cayman Islands National Hurricane Committee situation report

Monday, September 13, 2004

At a briefing held at 11 am local time Monday, the Cayman Islands National Hurricane Committee (NHC) reported on what is known about the current situation in Grand Cayman. The NHC emphasised that it was still not yet in possession of complete information on the overall situation.

The ‘all clear’ has NOT yet been issued and all residents are asked to stay clear of the streets because of debris and power lines that may endanger life.

The NHC said there have been no reports of any deaths as a result of Hurricane Ivan.

Two Royal Navy ships have now arrived in Cayman waters: the frigate HMS Richmond Hill and the fleet auxiliary vessel Wave Ruler.

Security is a major concern and it is hoped that assistance will be provided by the Royal Navy, along with the mobilisation of off-duty police officers and special constables.

The NHC says it has received no reports of any looting but this is contradicted by other eye-witness reports.

Caribbean Utilities Corporation (CUC) estimates that power will be restored to George Town within two days. CUC was unable to give a similar estimate for the other districts.

Floodwater has damaged a generator at the water plant and it is not possible to say at this time when supplies will be restored.

The George Town Hospital suffered damage to the Mortuary, which is where medical supplies are kept refrigerated. The hospital is currently seeking an emergency generator.

Owen Roberts International Airport is expected to reopen for limited operations as of noon Monday and Cayman Airways has a plane standing by in Houston ready to fly in relief supplies.

No information is currently available as to when commercial flights will commence.

The Governor’s emergency powers will remain in place until further notice.

During the storm, the Bodden Town Civic Centre, which was being used as a hurricane shelter, suffered major damage, necessitating the evacuation of the 180 persons who had taken refuge there to the Bodden Town Primary School.

The Government will be establishing a special committee to coordinate relief efforts, which will include participation by the Cayman Islands Red Cross. Further details will be published in due course.

The Financial Secretary, Hon George McCarthy, has appealed for national unity at his time of crisis and for everyone to pull together in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. He said everyone is an individual who has been affected to one degree or another by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ivan. Traditionally divisive labels such as Caymanians, status holders, expatriates, etc. are now irrelevant.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ok the next article was the one Danny posted above so I will just go to the next one

Damage reports from readers

Monday, September 13, 2004

We are now beginning to receive some damage reports directly from readers who have managed to get in touch with family and friends in the Cayman Islands.

We will list them here but we must emphasise that these are all unofficial and unconfirmed reports.

During the 36 hours to noon EDT on Monday, the Cayman Net News website has been accessed over 260,000 times by some 38,000 different visitors, many of whom have sent us messages of support or requests for information. The sheer number has completely overwhelmed our ability to process these in a timely fashion, but they will all be posted online as soon as circumstances permit.

Readers can help in this process by making sure they enter a valid email address to avoid our system being even further burdened by bounced messages.

We would like to automate this system in its entirety but it seems that some people still cannot resist the temptation to send inappropriate messages, even at a time such as this, requiring us to scrutinise each message before it is posted.

Would readers also please note that we cannot at this time respond to requests for individual replies with current information. Everything we know is reported on the website.

Obtained this from gotocayman.com - thought people would like to know. Best wishes to all islanders. God bless and take care - Ben

Not a single tree seen standing

Glass House - all windows out

UBS Building intact

Cricket Square intact

CNB intact

Queensgate House - lost metal surface, but roof intact, no news of occupants

Maybe 80% of houses with serious damage, interestingly many older bungalows fared well

Vigoro Nursery - completely gone

Health Care Pharmacy - missing roof

Passadora Place, two (maybe all) roofs gone

Back of Calvary Baptist Church (Walkers Road) missing

Hospital generator failed, hospital experienced at least some flooding

Chrissy Tomlinson Hospital appears operational

Much of Walkers Road was under 6' of water

All gas stations lost their overhead structures, extensive damage

Fitness Connection building intact, severe flooding around it.

Most structures on sea side of South Church Street are gone or gutted.

Smiths Cove - breakers rolling in still