Before and after

And touching on this post:

You know you're Caymanian when most stories are either "before Ivan" or "after Ivan".

'Tis the season

This happens every year. Just like the cold white north prepares for the winter season conducive to snow storms, we here in the Caribbean prepare ourselves for hurricane season. Some say to me, 'Oh you guys must be pros by now, having lived in Bermuda for three years and now in Cayman'. But that's just it, you can't ever get 'used' to a hurricane. You can't ever be a 'pro', well, unless you're like those audacious Hurricane Hunters you see on TV, flying in the midst of it, or close to it to bring us up to date details on any ongoing hurricane.

Most outside of Cayman may not know but 2004's Hurricane Ivan was the worst the island had seen since the 1930's. What made it worse was that most were so lax about the approaching hurricane, that no one thought that it might actually be devastating. And the reason why not many may know about this is that it wasn't publicised. Cayman blocked all media access that no one really knew the extent of the devastation that took place here.

I often hear about how some if not most parts of the island lacked electricity and water...for weeks! How during the hurricane, tidal waves pretty much flooded Georgetown which is shaped like a bowl, how some parts were under 12 feet of water, how so many coffins were unearthed during the hurricane - and this being Cayman how the rumours ensued, how so many left the island never to come back, how new comers onto the island were not told of the hurricane nor the aftermath - and how would they know with the lack of media coverage, I could go on and on.

Since Ivan, the government has been far more cautious and takes every hurricane/ approaching storm warning seriously. So, are we worried? Should we be? I am not sure. Most homes here in Cayman are post Ivan construction, and have been built to withstand hurricanes. There were very few places and cars that were not affected by Ivan. But regardless, I don't see how we'd have a good summer if we spent everyday worrying about the hurricane season that officially begins today.

Brac after Paloma

The Cayman Brac has been hit really hard by Hurricane Paloma. Fellow Caymanian blogger, Mark over at First Time has posted a detailed note on how Paloma managed to wreak havoc on the island. 25 foot waves are scary and I am not sure how I would have been able to deal with that. Please do go on over and read about what he has to say. The Brac's residents are currently without power and Paloma is now being compared to 2004's Hurricane Ivan, which was one of the worst hurricanes the Caribbean has seen. You can also read about it here, here and here. It's also been reported that 90% of properties have suffered extensive damage not to mention one of their supermarkets has been completely destroyed.. How eerie is it that the Brac also suffered extensive damage due the the 1932 Hurricane on the very same day decades ago? I do not know what else to say, because that could have easily been our fate here on Grand Cayman. Brackers, you are in our thoughts and we hope your recovery is speedy.

An excerpt from the Cayman News Service:
Paloma made its strike on Cayman Brac on the eve of 76th anniversary of one of the most devastating storms ever to hit the Cayman Islands – the 1932storm. It is believed that Paloma took a very similar direction to the ’32 storm. Early on 9 November, 1932 the storm passed Cayman Brac with winds of up to 155 miles per hour before sweeping into north–east into Cuba.

Post Hurricane Paloma

4:00am
I've just woken up and am still half asleep but the calmness is eerie. After a night of noise, which I did sleep right through, I was woken up by the calm and the quiet. Yes, I have heard of that happening. And man is it quiet. And dry as well. My first thought is that the eye of the storm is passing over us, a period when it's eerily calm, before the second half of the hurricane makes an appearance. Of course I dare not go out to check, as much as I want to so I log on to the Hurricane websites I normally check and am surprised to see the Hurricane has moved away completely from Grand Cayman. Mark over at First Time looks like he's been up all night and has said on his blog that the storm went to the South instead of over Grand Cayman. That's the second time we've been lucky in terms of avoiding a direct hit. The sister islands are not so lucky at the moment as you can see, Paloma is poised to make a direct hit. When I asked him about hurricane season being over, RI over at Revolution Island reminded me that today is the anniversary of the deadly 1932 Hurricane, so I am really hoping and sending out lots of good wishes and prayers to the sister islands. For now I am heading back to bed and am hoping the water is turned back on when I awake a few hours later. You know for sure I'll be making the rounds and snapping up post Paloma effects, so please stay tuned.

10:26am
We are up. It's a little cloudy but dry and there's a gentle breeze. We're out to do a little damage control.

11:30pm
Today was such a hot and beautiful day. I couldn't believe what a difference a day makes when only yesterday we were fighting off rain and wind as we picked up last minute supplies and later on stayed in hoping that the storm would pass us by with little incident.

We did drive around to snap up some shots and this time I wanted to target a different spot than we did for Hurricane Gustav. We hit a public beach on Seven Mile and then later a drive through Georgetown. The beach was wonderful to be at, the smell of the ocean was so refreshing and even more so was watching the little kids enjoy the gorgeous day post hurricane. It was hot enough for many to soak up some sun and walking along the beach, listening to the waves crash made us realise how truly lucky we are to be able to live in a place like this. Sure we have to deal with hurricanes, but look at what we are rewarded with in the end. It's all about perspective..right?

Driving around Georgetown, the most apparent damage that one could see was flooding (as you can see in the collage here. Some signs were also 'affected' but I think that's about it. Cayman was very fortunate with this hurricane. Hubby was surprised with how fast everything was up and running soon after the government gave the all clear. I was just surprised how quickly the storm passed. I feel we were better prepared for Hurricane Gustav than this one, and have resolved to be better prepared next time around regardless how we think it may turn out. The sister islands took a real beating and have had extensive damage. I hope they are able to recover from this quickly.

Hurricane Paloma Updates

Hurricane Paloma can be tracked at the following links below:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/204814.shtml?3day?large#contents

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200817.html

6:01 pm
Paloma is pretty much here. Internet is intermittent. Not sure when I will be able to update again. Strong winds, lots of rain. And of course, no water. They shut the water off here during a hurricane to prevent loss of water through leaking pipes that may burst due to the floods (info courtesy of Piglet). The good news is that we at least still have power and hope to do so through the night.

6:47 pm
It's funny how we take for granted the little things until they're taken away from us, temporarily. Hurricanes will do this to people. Cut off the water supply and it's like we're in a drought. Cut off the power and we feel like everything is at a standstill. Whatever did they do before in the olden days when there wasn't running water or electricity?

7:25pm
Paloma is now a Category 3 hurricane. The good news is that the eye is not going to pass directly above Grand Cayman. And it also looks like it's going to slide in between Grand Cayman and the sister islands. Right now I can hear an insane amount of pounding rain against the windows and once can tell just how strong the winds are by the pounding. I hope everyone's staying safe!

8:09pm
A little perspective...three years in Bermuda and we only had to deal with one Hurricane Florence. Hardly been here in Cayman a year and we've already dealt with Hurricane Gustav and are now dealing with Paloma.

9:12pm
Should we be scared? Friends off island are asking if we are. I'm not sure. It's perfectly natural to feel startled like when you unexpectedly hear that loud crack of thunder, except in this case it's really loud winds and pounding rain, that sounds like hail falling. Maybe we will be scared when the hurricane is closest to us, or maybe we'll be sleeping it off.

9:53
Channels that we've tuned into all day today on the tube has been in this particular order. The Weather Channel, CNN, The Weather Channel, CNN, The Weather Channel, CNN. You get the idea. And so to introduce some politics to todays post, I give you this, as forwarded by Hubby. Enjoy!

Pirates week sneak peek

I have been looking forward to Pirates Week Festival here in Cayman, pretty much since I got here, and entire week of fun, devoted to piracy, Caribbean style. The only style there is! It had already been postponed from it's original slot in October, since we've been having unusual inordinate amounts of rainfall here in Grand Cayman. And now, as of today we're preparing for a category 1 or 2 hurricane. And here I thought we were done with our share of hurricanes. Paloma, you can take a hike in another direction, like perhaps inch more towards the West. The extreme West. For now many events are cancelled/postponed and revised dates can be found here.

STAY TUNED NEXT WEEK, AS I WILL BE DOING A WEEK LONG SESSION OF PIRATE POSTS, tales and pictures from the Pirate Soul Museum in Key West from our recent cruise to Key West/Cozumel and of course from all the Piracy that's going to take over Cayman over the next week. Here's a sneak peek!

Post Gustav

While Grand Cayman was spared, the sister islands took a real beating from Hurricane Gustav. And while I feel for the people on the island, my thoughts always turn to the wildlife which is abundant on both these islands. It has been reported that 2004's Category 5 Hurricane Ivan all but wiped out many of the species of wildlife on the sister islands, so much so that many made the endangered list. Four years later numbers are finally beginning to increase and I am hoping that Gustav managed to leave the wildlife alone.

Here on Grand Cayman, no sooner than Saturday morning hit we were up and about ready to take a drive around town to see what's what. We first had to wait for our car to arrive. The one thing that people worry about on this island during hurricanes and the flood that follow is their cars. Grand Cayman is as flat as they come and many cars get flooded. Most park theirs on any higher ground they find. We left our with friends living in West Bay, which is more elevated than where we are. Peace of mind is everything during a storm and our car was one less thing we had to worry about. Of course, this time around we hardly had any rain.

We were guided to some of the hotspots to check out on Saturday and here are some shots & videos (pre & post Gustav) that made the cut.


Gas pumps that were properly secured in preparation of Gustav. This is something we definitely didn't see happening in Bermuda during Hurricane Flory.

Georgetown was a virtual ghost town on Saturday afternoon.

As we drove by, you couldn't help but look at the iridescent pale green ocean courtesy of hurricane induced stormy waters. Bermuda's waters were very much the same after Hurricane Flory.










And here are my favourite nature shots, of things as they seem and of little treasures washed up on shore.












Which one's your favourite?

And just how windy was it? Check out the videos below to see for yourself. Keep in mind that it's even more intense than captured on film. Those that took advantage of the winds and waves, left me wishing that this was me!

Hurricane Gustav

Saturday, 10:30 AM
We're up and Gustav has passed with minor incident. Some parts of Cayman lost power and got some flooding, particularly the East side. I'm really surprised that there wasn't as much rain as I thought there would be and that our electricity held up. It's a bright day here, albeit a little windy. But the worst has passed. Now here's hoping that TS Hanna stays where she is and doesn't cause much problem for us.

Saturday, 4:04AM
Just a few minutes ago I peeked outside and actually saw a dog, looking like it was confused before dashing off beyond my view. I'm hoping it ran off to its owner, because even though Cayman has its fair share of stray dogs, I don't think this was one of them. And I was so tempted to go out there to try and find it, but I know better and besides Hubby would have a fit. I just checked the online sources and even though it's still windy here, Gustav looks like it's moved AWAY from Cayman. Whoo hoo! Unfortunately for those in Cuba & the US, Gustav went from a Category 1 to a Category 3 in the span of such a short time. I hate to think of the damage it's going to cause, hopefully no more loss of life. I think we here in Cayman really lucked out. Thank goodness!

Saturday, 3:30AM
My fellow blogger is up as well and blogging. Something tells me that it's just us women who are up, doing the night watch while the men are snoring away the storm. And why is it that the American media always exaggerates to the nines? Unless the American networks have a Cayman correspondent here, they should not report of things they know nothing of. Of course the entire island is not out of power, because I would not be up blogging. And I am sure no sooner than I post this the power will go out. Bloody Murphy! All I hear right now is strong winds with something rattling outside, which is mighty annoying. I wonder which fool forgot to secure whatever it is that's causing all that noise. Cuba & the Gulf of Mexico, I feel for you because what's coming your way is at least a Category 3, and on the Labour Day long weekend, that's gotta blow.

Saturday, 1:30AM
This is Gustav right now at 1:30am Cayman time. Yes I'm still up. We've still got power and I hope it continues to stay that way. I don't want to jinx anything but I shall post a follow up on how Gustav has been impacting us. But if this picture here is any indication of how fortunate we are, then I don't know what is. Thank the Lord that the hurricane is passing us right in between Grand Cayman & the sister islands. So, far we've not had as much rain as we did during Tropical Storm Dolly which occurred last month, but the night is still young.

Going back to 1932

So we've got Gustav coming our way and are every so often glued to the set to find out its path. We're prepared - tub filled with water, windows taped up, sandbags ready (just in case), phones charged, stocked up on food & supplies - the works. Technology is unbelievable in today's world, where hurricane predictions are able to warn us before hand, much before hand, so we can prepare, evacuate, do what we need to do. Which brings to mind, what did people do in the olden days when there was no form of mass communication, no satellite images to aid meteorologists in their hurricane and tropical storm predictions and no forewarnings. While we were talking about this very same thing yesterday with friends they asked if we had heard of the Storm of '32. I looked it up further today and what I read complied with what they told me was so sad and unfortunate.

The 1932 Cuba Hurricane was apparently the worst that the Caribbean has seen in the 20th Century. It was responsible for over 3,000 deaths in Cuba and 69 in Cayman Brac. The storm path can be seen here. In the days before shelters existed, many seeked in caves. One such story about Rebecca's Cave and why it's called just that, can be read here. I was told that because there was no way to track a hurricane back in those days, no one knew when a hurricane had completely passed. While the eye of the hurricane hovered over the island, there was dead calm, blue skies and the sun blazing. Not knowing that it was just the eye that was passing over, and the latter half of the hurricane was about to pass by, many thought the hurricane had completed wreaking its havoc and that it was time to leave the caves and go to what was left of their homes. It was when the eye began to leave, bringing with it the latter half of the hurricane, that people we caught in the storm and sadly perished.

Today we have infinite technology at our resources, tracking mechanisms that are able to tell us when exactly the hurricane is bound to pass over and when it's finally safe to come out. How fortunate are we to be able to take advantage of such resources and prepare accordingly. Yes, we have to deal with hurricanes but at least we're better prepared now than anyone in previous history.

The calm before

OK here we go...Gustav is due to arrive right smack over Grand Cayman tomorrow. Of course in preparation, there are those that are driving around town like they're on crack, paying no mind to the rules of the road, unable to focus because they're panicking on inside. Everyone's been flocking the grocery store and the construction workers are working at super sonic speed to cover up the roofs that have not yet been completed. I feel for them, working faster than usual in this heat. Oh yeah, it's such a beautiful sunny hot day here in Grand Cayman that you wouldn't think a hurricane is around the corner. I am going to try and get some pictures today because, according to one of my friends, the beach is the most beautiful and the calmest the day before the storm. Stay tuned and for the rest of you in Cayman, stay safe.

Gus

While I wouldn't say that we here on Cayman are on pins and needles waiting to see how Gustav plays out, there is a certain apprehension abound. The big question is whether we evacuate and while most stay here on the island, some companies with offices in other parts of the world (mostly in America) tend to evacuate their employees to work in those locations, so business can run smoothly without any interruption. I've heard that prior to Hurricane Ivan (2004) hitting, most people pooh poohed the idea of evacuating not know that the wrath that Ivan was about to unleash would be the worst hurricane damage this island had yet to see. Ivan was devastating and so much so that four years later, I still see remnants of Ivan around the island. Houses that were literally demolished to the ground, where all you can see is the tile flooring, is one such evidence that lays scattered sporadically around these parts. Ivan was also a hurricane that changed its mind and course at the last possible moment, making a bee line for Grand Cayman, instead of originally hitting Cayman Brac & Little Cayman. It was from Ivan that was learnt how unpredictable a hurricane can really be.

For now, Gustav has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm and I hope it stays that way. Maybe I'll shorten its name to Gus, in light of its temporary deflation. It's at times like these I wish I had a crystal ball. For now we are glued to the Internet, to the tube, to the radio to hear how it will develop. It's much like watching out for a winter blizzard storm in Toronto, where all anyone can talk about is the weather and the impending blow that's going to hit us. Here in Cayman, my thoughts always move to the fish underwater. Do they know a storm's a coming?

Hurricane Bertha

If you're in Bermuda right now, you're probably almost ready for Hurricane Bertha, with its closest point of approach slated 157 kms away tomorrow at 19:00 hrs (which keeps changing). If you click on the link, you'll see that the hurricane path is one where it's almost a direct hit. These are the only kind of hurricanes that Bermuda exeriences. High surf conditions have already been reported at many of the beaches. I wish I could have been there to snap up some shots, because it's actually quite daunting standing at the shore, watching waves that are taller than you come crashing down at the shore. Of course, a 'no beach' advisory is on, but that's not going to deter a few daring ones to go check out the surf, and perhaps take a few pictures.

So, while I am glad we are not there to go through the mayhem, I hope everyone stays safe. I know it's not the best way to spend this weekend, definitely not the best way to start off the weekend. You know, Happy Hour has been shot to hell, there will be no celebration tonight. I hope no one was planning to get married this weekend. Can you imagine the anxiety? That would be one Bridezilla on the run, and frankly, I would not blame her. I'd be pretty upset too if my wedding was ruined by a hurricane.

bye bye flory

So Flory has passed us by. She was supposed to hover directly over us & wreak havoc but decided to veer off the the left as a Category 1. So all we've had is strong winds & heavy rain. For now though it's dying down & I hope it continues on that same trend. Most people are without power due to the strong winds that has knocked out power lines. Lucky for us, Ms.StopYourNoise has underground power cables, so we're ok for now. And thankful too.

We also managed to break through the duct tape barring our doors. Free at last. Ha, not like we can go anywhere. Yet! We've been told to lay off the streets. GoraGuy actually went into work. SharkBoy & LadyBug have guests from home that landed on the last flight in on Saturday before the airport shutdown. Oh it's just bad timing.

In other news, we are expecting a tropical depression, named Seven to hit us by Thursday. I guess that would mean more wind & rain. When will the madness stop?

Maybe another day off? I sure hope so.

baten down the hatches

It's hurricane season. Unlike the Carribean, Bermuda is protected by the Gulf Stream so most hurricanes don't really come close to Bermuda as they hit the southern US. Bermuda, however, does get it's share of fun mayhem & the pattern for hurricane hits is about once every three years. Fabian hit Bermuda in 2003 & so we are just about due for one this year.

And here it comes - we are expecting Hurricane Florence to pass right over us by Monday. It did change its course in the last 48 hours & we're hoping it continues doing so for the next 48, unless it goes in turbo drive before it has a chance to change course. No, lets not think about that. For now it is projected to be moving further to the east but just in case, everyone's getting ready, stocking up on water, canned food, batteries & people securing their boats that are scattered around the various harbours on the island. For us newbies it's soaking up information & listening to the pros about their past hurricane experiences & funny stories. It's all that anyone's talking about.

There's really nothing to worry about. Bermuda houses are built to withstand hurricane weather. These houses are built strong & sturdy & the worst that will happen is that you may loose bits of your roof. This has been the case in the past. The best thing that one can do is stay inside. 2003's hurricane Fabian claimed four lives. All because they were out on the causeway (a low narrow bridge like road that connects the airport to the rest of the island.

We have been keeping track of Florence on the sharkoil website. Stay tuned for the aftermath. Right now it's the lull before the storm. It's a beautiful hot sunny day today & you wouldn't think there's a hurricane lurking around the corner.