Tropical Storm Warning Issued for the Cayman Islands

26 August 2021, 06:07 PM

Weather

7PM UPDATE:
Tropical storm conditions, associated with the passage of Tropical Storm Ida through the Cayman Islands area are expected to begin impacting the Eastern Districts of Grand Cayman around 11p.m. tonight.
Gusts of tropical storm force winds may potentially reach across the island the National Weather Service (NWS) officials noted this evening. The change in the forecast impact is the result of a new more northerly track for Tropical Storm Ida which will see tropical storm force winds reaching Little Cayman at midnight.
Emphasising the unpredictability of storms, Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson, who chairs the NEOC, urged members of the public to exercise caution as they complete their preparedness measures and head home.
“All three Cayman Islands are experiencing wet conditions and increasing wind speeds and I want to emphasise to everyone the importance of heading home and be inside before dark if you are able. We all need to exercise caution while on the road and while we wait for the storm to pass, and to stay tuned to local channels for any further changes that may happen overnight,” the Deputy Governor urged.
Mr Manderson pointed to the impact of Tropical Storm Grace last week, as an example of how quickly storms can change their path and their intensity.
Three hurricane shelters have opened on Grand Cayman including: Sir John A. Cumber Primary School in West Bay, the Red Cross Building on Huldah Avenue and Clifton Hunter High School in Frank Sound. The primary school and high school are accessible to persons with disabilities and Clifton Hunter is an animal shelter.
Aston Rutty Centre on Cayman Brac is now open as is the Public Works Department Building on Little Cayman.
Updated local weather information is expected from the National Weather Service at 7p.m. The National Emergency Operations Council will also share any new information on its response to T.S. Ida following its 7.30 p.m. meeting. Flood and marine Warnings remain in effect for the Cayman Islands.
Hazard Management Cayman Islands also offers some preparedness tips to members of the public. Residents should: secure any debris from their yards that can fly around and damage property. secure a three-day supply of drinking water, non-perishable food and necessary supplies.
be prepared for any loss of power. secure a battery or solar powered radio with them so that they can stay informed even if the power goes out.
Members of the public are urged to exercise extreme caution on the roads while completing their preparations. They are also reminded to avoid shorelines and refrain from non-essential travel as soon as they are able after 6p.m.

6PM UPDATE:

Tropical storm conditions, associated with the passage of Tropical Storm Ida through the Cayman Islands area are expected to begin impacting the Eastern Districts of Grand Cayman around 11p.m. tonight.

Gusts of tropical storm force winds may potentially reach across the island the National Weather Service (NWS) officials noted this evening. The change in the forecast impact is the result of a new more northerly track for Tropical Storm Ida which will see tropical storm force winds reaching Little Cayman at midnight.

Emphasising the unpredictability of storms, Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson, who chairs the NEOC, urged members of the public to exercise caution as they complete their preparedness measures and head home.

“All three Cayman Islands are experiencing wet conditions and increasing wind speeds and I want to emphasise to everyone the importance of heading home and be inside before dark if you are able. We all need to exercise caution while on the road and while we wait for the storm to pass, and to stay tuned to local channels for any further changes that may happen overnight,” the Deputy Governor urged.

Mr Manderson pointed to the impact of Tropical Storm Grace last week, as an example of how quickly storms can change their path and their intensity.

Three hurricane shelters have opened on Grand Cayman including: Sir John A. Cumber Primary School in West Bay, the Red Cross Building on Huldah Avenue and Clifton Hunter High School in Frank Sound. The primary school and high school are accessible to persons with disabilities and Clifton Hunter is an animal shelter.

Aston Rutty Centre on Cayman Brac is now open as is the Public Works Department Building on Little Cayman.

Updated local weather information is expected from the National Weather Service at 7p.m. The National Emergency Operations Council will also share any new information on its response to T.S. Ida following its 7.30 p.m. meeting. Flood and marine Warnings remain in effect for the Cayman Islands.

Hazard Management Cayman Islands also offers some preparedness tips to members of the public. Residents should:

secure any debris from their yards that can fly around and damage property.
secure a three-day supply of drinking water, non-perishable food and necessary supplies.
be prepared for any loss of power.
secure a battery or solar powered radio with them so that they can stay informed even if the power goes out.

Members of the public are urged to exercise extreme caution on the roads while completing their preparations. They are also reminded to avoid shorelines and refrain from non-essential travel as soon as they are able after 6pm.

3PM UPDATE:

The Cayman Islands Department of Agriculture (DOA) offers the following tips to farmers and pet-owners ahead of the passage of Tropical Depression Nine.

Fruit Trees

Cut off all low hanging, dead, and unproductive limbs and branches. Hurricane preparedness notwithstanding the rainy season is the best time of the year for the pruning fruit trees. The greater the resistance of a tree to high winds, the easier it is for that tree to be uprooted.

Bananas and Plantains

With the issuance of a HURRICANE WARNING, it is recommended that farmers chop down all bananas and plantain plants- main stem and suckers - as near to ground level as possible. It is less costly to lose a few bunches and farms will be back in production sooner than if the whole cultivation is uprooted by hurricane force winds.

Trellised plants

The plants should be laid flat on the ground and secured if possible, or simply cut them back.

Seeds

All seeds should be packed in plastic bags and secured in a dry location.

Water Tanks

Tanks that are used for irrigation purposes should be secured or filled up with water to prevent them from being damaged or blown away.

Pesticides

Pesticides should be packed in water proof containers and along with fertilizers, stored in a secure out-building to prevent them from getting wet and contaminated.

Shade Houses

Remove screens and plastic from shade houses if possible, as it will be easier to replace if the screen is not damaged.

Adult Livestock

Adult livestock have inbred instincts that would enable them to survive a hurricane, provided that their movement is not physically restrained. Ideally, livestock should be turned loose in pastures that are not prone to flooding or swept by storm surges.

Young Livestock

Where possible, young stock two months or less should be securely penned with their mother, or otherwise turned loose in a safe and sheltered area that is not prone to flooding or storm surge.

Chickens

Chickens and other domestic livestock should be placed in a safe cage, box or pen that is above possible flood level. Baby chicks however should be kept indoors in a warm dry place.

Pigs

Adult pigs are best kept in their pens. Pig pens are never totally enclosed and therefore are of minimal resistance to high winds. Driving cold rain however could be a serious treat to piglets that are under five weeks old. Where possible, piglets should be confined to a dry and secured area.

General

Most animals and birds have an inbred instinct for sensing the approach of a natural phenomenon such as a hurricane. If restrained, animals will exhibit a restless or nervous behavior. Do not further agitate animals by rough handling, but rather, handling in a calm, firm, and gentle manner. Ensure an adequate supply of clean drinking water, and stock up on sack feed for use after a hurricane. Ponds, watering holes and pastures may become contaminated by salt water during a hurricane, and may remain so for a considerable period thereafter.

Farm Buildings

Secure loose boards and roofing sheets which can become dangerous missiles during a hurricane. That extra nail, screw or bolt could mean the difference of a farm building receiving zero damage, total or disintegration during a hurricane.

Pastures

Remove, store and/or secure feed and watering troughs i.e. half drums, bath tubs etc. These can become dangerous missiles. Where it is possible to secure these, fill them with heavy rock to stop them blowing away. Inspect fence posts to ensure that they are properly anchored in the ground. Loose fence posts can become dangerous projectiles during a hurricane.

Pets

Bring all pets indoors, and try to keep them calm and reassured. Remain calm yourself as animals can sense fear.

Dogs with ‘thunder phobia’ or other anxiety disorders need to be monitored closely, as you do not know how they will react to you or your children during a hurricane/storm and may need to be tranquilised. Discuss this information with your veterinarian so that an appropriate management plan can be created.

Pet owners are reminded that it is an offence to tether, confine or keep any animal on a lead under such condition or in such manner as to cause that animal unnecessary suffering. Pets should not be tied outdoors during a storm and should be moved indoors.

2PM UPDATE:

As the Cayman Islands has been placed under a Tropical Storm Warning, Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) made the following changes to its operations for August 26, 2021, with affected passengers having being directly contacted:

Cayman Airways Express

August 26, 2021

Due to inclement weather conditions between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, today’s Cayman Airways Express operations were cancelled and a jet flight KX2403 added for a Noon departure from Grand Cayman, with the return leg departing Cayman Brac at 1:15pm.

Repatriation flights

August 26, 2021

Kingston flights KX3600 / KX3601 were canceled due to inclement weather in Jamaica

La Ceiba flight KX3880 / KX3881 operated as scheduled

Note: Cayman Airways will operate recovery flights for cancelled operations as soon as it is safe to do, and affected passengers will be advised accordingly.

Change fee waivers

Passengers travelling on repatriation flights may voluntarily change their reservations without change fees. However, passengers should consider that seats on alternate repatriation flights may not always be available.

A change fee waiver has been authorized for passengers with existing tickets for travel between Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac or Little Cayman between August 25 - 28, 2021. Any applicable fare difference will apply.

Reservations Hotline and Ticket Offices

August 26, 2021

Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac ticket offices will be closing at 3pm today.

The Reservations hotline will be closing at 5pm today.

Pending weather conditions, the ticket offices will reopen on Friday August 27^th for 11am-5pm, and the reservations hotline is expected to resume normal hours, 7am-7pm.

For more information, customers can call Cayman Airways Reservations on 345-949-2311 during the noted hours of operation.

1PM UPDATE:

Non-essential Government offices on Grand Cayman closed at 12.30 p.m. today, in advance of the passage of Tropical Depression 9 through the Cayman Islands area.

While the Sister Islands are already experiencing showers that are expected to continue until Saturday, the storm will most closely approach Grand Cayman, and is expected to pass directly over the island at 1a.m. Friday morning.

Tropical storm force conditions are expected to begin impacting the Cayman Islands at 7.30 p.m. this evening and continue through 6 a.m. tomorrow Friday morning.

As a result civil servants are being asked to stay in touch with their managers overnight and to monitor local channels.

With some eight inches in rain forecast over the next two days and wave heights during that period potentially reaching 10 ft, the National Weather Service has already issued flood and marine warnings.

Given that the ground is already saturated following the recent passage of T.S. Grace through the area, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), which brings together emergency response agencies from across Government and their private partners, is expected to partially activate overnight.

The NEOC is also opening three shelters at 4pm today, including Sir John A. Cumber Primary School, Red Cross Headquarters on Huldah Avenue, and Clifton Hunter High School in Frank Sound. SJACPS and CHHS are emergency medical centres, and CHHS is an animal shelter.

Additional shelters will be opened as needed, says Deputy Governor Franz Manderson who chairs the National Hazard Management Council.

While Tropical Depression is to pass through the Cayman Islands area as a mid-level Tropical Storm, Mr Manderson notes that severe weather systems are unpredictable and that this system is already displaying the potential for intensification.

would like to urge all persons, in particular those whose residences may have been impacted by Tropical Storm Grace, to immediately assess the safety of their residences and determine if it is suitable to ride out the storm. If it is not you need to decide now where you will shelter”, the Deputy Governor remarked.

Hazard Management Cayman Islands also offers some preparedness tips to members of the public. Residents should:

move any debris from their yards that can fly around and damage property.
secure a three-day supply of drinking water, non-perishable food and necessary supplies.
be prepared for any loss of power.
secure a battery or solar powered radio with them so that they can stay informed even if the power goes out.

(GIS)

11AM UPDATE:

As of 10:00AM today (Thursday, 26 August), the Cayman Islands are under a Tropical Storm Warning.

Consequently, non-essential Government Offices will close at 12:30 today to allow offices and staff to prepare in advance of Tropical Depression 9, which is anticipated to strengthen into a Tropical Storm as it passes close to the Cayman Islands overnight.

Non-essential services will be delivered remotely tomorrow morning, Friday 27^th August, where possible. Civil Servants are encouraged to monitor official channels for updates on the reopening times for non-essential government offices.

Civil Servants who provide essential/emergency services are expected to report to work as scheduled unless directed otherwise by their Head of Department.

All employees are urged to implement the final steps in their professional and personal storm readiness plans.

If there are any changes these will be communicated as soon as possible. In the interim please stay safe and monitor official channels for updates.

10AM UPDATE

With a severe weather system set to strengthen as it moves through the Cayman Islands area overnight, the National Hazard Management Council, has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the country with effect from 10am, this morning.

The decision was taken in consultation with the National Weather Service and Hazard Management Cayman Islands at a meeting of senior civil servants and private sector partners this morning.

Up to date details concerning expected weather conditions will be shared following the next local forecast, shortly after 10 am. Flood and Marine Warnings are already in effect.

Further details are expected once the NHMC meets again to take decisions concerning businesses and schools. While this meeting is set for 11 a.m., Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who chairs the NHMC, urged members of the public to take any necessary preparedness measures promptly.

Hazard Management Cayman Islands also offers some preparedness tips to members of the public. Residents should: