KEY WEST, Florida (11 Sep 2004) -- With Hurricane Ivan moving dangerously closer to Grand Cayman, Cayman's National Hurricane Committee officials warned this morning that people in coastal and vulnerable, flood-prone areas must "take this final window of opportunity" before the onset of dangerously unsafe conditions and move to higher ground as soon as possible. At 10 am, Hurricane Ivan had resumed its west-northwest path towards the Cayman Islands, still moving at 8 mph and strengthening as it passes 30 miles southwest of the western tip of Jamaica. This puts it 145 miles southeast of Cayman Brac and 190 miles ease-southeast of Grand Cayman. If it maintains this track, it continues to hold great threat for all three Cayman Islands, but now especially for Grand Cayman. "One objective of our planning is to ensure that there are no fatalities," Chairman of the NHC Chief Secretary James Ryan said. "We want to avoid people being trapped, as once the seas come in, emergency services won't be able to help them. So all residents near coastal areas or in close proximity to large bodies of water are urged to move to higher ground." Having warned people to take appropriate action now to protect their life and property, officials also wanted to convey the following: "If during the storm people find themselves in rising water levels, they must not panic and try to leave their otherwise safe location in the height of the hurricane. Panic can lead to unnecessary risks of injury or even worse in trying to leave a situation that may not be life-threatening". All residents are therefore now urged to take shelter in safe accommodation and to remain indoors for their own safety. It should be noted that as of 10:00 o'clock this morning, there were only about 500 persons in shelters in Grand Cayman, with accommodation available for almost 3,000 more. On Grand Cayman, based on current projections, tropical storm force winds were expected to begin at noon today (Saturday), with the first hurricane force winds expected at just after midnight tonight and continuing through mid-morning tomorrow (Sunday). Maximum winds on Grand Cayman are now expected to be around 75 MPH. However, officials warned that given Ivan's proven deviation from recent projections, dangerously higher wind speeds could be experienced. "Even small movements of ten miles or less could mean huge changes in the winds we could feel here," Mr. Ryan said. At current projections, the closest point of approach to Grand Cayman is expected to be 33 miles off the eastern and northern shores of Grand Cayman. "So East End and North Side can expect to get the brunt of the action," Mr. Ryan said. Already conditions on Grand Cayman involved winds of from between 25 mph and 45 mph. For the Sister Islands, winds are not expected to be as high as originally forecast, current projections predicting maximum winds of around 65 mph around 7 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday) for Cayman Brac, and 75 mph around 9 am tomorrow (Sunday) for Little Cayman. | | Last tropical storm force winds on the Sister Islands will be 4 p.m. Sunday, and on Grand Cayman, 5 p.m. Sunday. The following are some recommendations to enhance your safety during the storm: - Close curtains and blinds to minimise the danger of flying glass if windows ARE broken.
- Stay on the downwind (leeward) side of the house, away from windows.
- Turn off outside gas cylinders and disconnect gas pipes if you have not already done so.
- Park vehicles inside the garage or away from trees
- Use telephone for emergencies only.
- CUC will usually turn off the electricity just before the storm passes to protect its equipment. However, if the electricity is still on and water begins to blow into the house and settle on the floors, turn off the main breaker switch to avoid electrical accidents. However, before you touch the breaker, make sure you are not standing in water.
- Do not go outside while the eye of the storm (an area of calm weather at the centre of the storm) is passing, unless absolutely necessary. This calm weather can last for up to half an hour or more, but winds will return unexpectedly from the opposite direction, sometimes with greater force. Don't be caught off-guard!
- If your roof or walls begin to fail, go to an inner room (preferably one without windows), or to a cupboard or passageway and shield yourself with a mattress.
At 10:00am, the coordinates for Hurricane Ivan were 17.9 N and 78.7 W, moving towards the west-northwest near 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 145 MPH. All residents of the Cayman Islands are urged to closely monitor the progress of this dangerous hurricane. The National Hurricane Committee will continue to monitor the system. The next bulletin will be issued at 6 p.m., unless circumstances dictate otherwise. SOURCE - Cayman Net News |
