Letter to the Editor

Visitor agrees with need for timely storm information

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Dear Sir,

As I was (reluctantly) ending my vacation on Grand Cayman on 14 August, I picked up a copy of Cayman Net News and read your article on preparations in the Cayman Islands for Tropical Storm Charley, which I had experienced a few days before.

I would like to second your comments on the need for additional, timely information on tropical storms or hurricanes being made available, especially when it comes to visitors.

I am from Houston, and I am familiar with the need for severe weather warnings. All day Wednesday, as the tropical storm approached, I listened in vain (on FM 90.1, Radio Cayman) for projections with respect to Grand Cayman.

All that the radio was reporting (aside from the latitude and longitude), was information about the storm relative to Jamaica, where it was, how strong the winds were, and when it was likely to make landfall - in Jamaica.

What I was listening for, but did not hear, was the same information about Grand Cayman.

A more serious problem, I think, was an inability to get information on the storm on Thursday morning as the storm hit and passed through.

I was staying at the Morritts Grand on the East End, and our room radio was unable to pick up any radio stations at all, AM or FM.

Of course, there was no local television coverage, possibly because the resort was on satellite and not broadcasting local channels.

I would have thought that there would be an island-wide emergency radio frequency that would reach everyone in Grand Cayman.

If there were such a thing, I would hope that it, and all other radio stations, would frequently broadcast storm updates, emergency instructions, and other information of interest.

Perhaps this was happening, but in the absence of a radio signal that would reach the East End, we were in the dark.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on your editorial.

James Heimer
Houston, Texas

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