Cayman Survives Four Days With Ivan

by Brian Buckley

Friday, September 17, 2004

Hurricane Ivan stayed on a westerly track on Saturday 11 September, never making its predicted turn to the northwest, which would have had the eye heading toward the two smaller islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Instead, Ivan took aim at Grand Cayman, the largest of the three Cayman Islands, and left that island in utter devastation.

Hurricane Ivan tore through the nation of 40,000 with category five hurricane force winds of speeds of 165 mph.

One death has been officially reported as of Thursday morning, and a majority of homes and businesses will take months to rebuild and recover.

On Grand Cayman famed Seven Mile Beach, perhaps the narrowest part of the island, power went late Saturday evening and the onset of Ivan was felt just after midnight.

Driven by category five hurricane winds, ocean water from the North Sound rose violently to meet the Caribbean Sea on the other side of the strip, and homes and hotels gradually saw five feet of saltwater fill their structures.

For those who stayed in their homes, their roofs or second floors became their hide-outs, though many had left for hotels and office buildings.

Still others had left for Florida in the days before the strike.

Whipping winds tore power lines all over the strip's main West Bay Road as nearly every single utility pole crushed to the ground. Yachts and boats rushed between houses and lawns and tennis courts, while the Marriott, Comfort Inn, Treasure Island, Beach Club and many condominium complexes saw massive damage to their roofs.

Precious sand from the fragile Seven Mile Beach was tossed and heaved onto the northern section of West Bay Road, where one Canadian commented that the sand drifts looked like snow banks after blizzards in his native Toronto.

For those trapped in their homes, the water inched up their staircases until 10:15 am on Sunday morning when the murky water started its rapid ebb out of their homes.

Many had seen glass doors imploded by the water's furious pressure, sending glass and water inside their homes at a vicious clip.

Cars were tossed in all directions, roofs collapsed on inhabitants, and business signs cast all over the West Bay Road.

Come Sunday afternoon residents still did not emerge from their homes as heavy rains and, now tropical storm force winds turned into winds, though tourists and residents took comfort in their lives being spared and the lowering of the water level outside their homes.

Sunday evening winds continued to pound Grand Cayman leaving people homebound and uncertain for the second consecutive night. With the first light on Monday morning, people opened the doors and began taking stock of just what had happened to their island of just 22 miles long and 8 miles wide.

Workers from Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) were out in full force with their backhoes along Seven Mile Beach's West Bay Road clearing the path for police vehicles and for families to begin seeking each other. One crewman stated that utilities workers in North Carolina were waiting for planes from Charlotte to take off in order to fly down to assist in the work to return power to the island.

Many made their way through miles of cables and fallen trees to the nation's capital of George Town, walking along while waves pounded the coast the entire way. Along the way, some looters roamed freely into liquor stores.

In an island where each of the five districts was hammered and devastated, members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police (RCIP) had urgent concerns with their own families, and the nation's capital was protected by only two officers, Detective Derek Haines and an assistant, each armed, the two were only able to warn people that martial law had been declared.

Some men with machetes roamed the streets and jewelry stores were looted.

Later in the day a third officer manned the central roundabout outside the General Post Office stating, “This is unbelievable, one officer for the whole George Town capital.”

The two officers also informed people that Royal Navy ships with supplies were 12 miles out, but that Hurricane Ivan's aftermath of ten foot waves prevented their docking. Cars began to drive in and out of the capital, surprising many whose own cars were disabled by the salt water in their engines and carriages. On Monday too, people with cell phones operated by Cable & Wireless were able to call overseas and talk to loved ones and send news of their safety.

For those who stayed close to home, it was a day of assessing losses and miraculous survivals.

People pored through the wreckage of their homes, scouring for personal belongings that had not been obliterated and sought buckets of water to mop down floors and flush days old feces and urine down their toilet bowls.

A curfew is in force from 7 pm to 6 am and remains in effect as of Thursday evening.

By Tuesday morning 14 September, after another night of rain which saw more roofs collapse, people milled about and continued to wonder as to the number of fatalities that Ivan had inflicted on the island, though official word had not confirmed any deaths. Positive signs of recovery started to appear throughout the island.

In South Sound one of the major supermarkets, Hurleys, opened its doors and lines of some 300 people formed outside its doors, watched by armed police officers.

More and more people were able to make overseas calls, 80 British sailors landed to assist in patrolling, more cars and homes were functional, and at 10 am, amongst a bevy of private planes landing at Owen Roberts International Airport, a Cayman Airways jet landed at the airport.

Residents and tourists were told that American Airlines hoped to be up and running on Thursday with an afternoon flight.

Breezes by the Bay, a downtown restaurant overlooking George Town Harbour, indicated that it hoped to be serving take out food by Thursday lunchtime.

Despite the positive signs that came on Tuesday, many citizens believe that Grand Cayman will need six to eight months to make a solid recovery. Roofs, palm trees, Causarina trees, and Poinciana trees remain thrown down all over the island.

Detective Mark Drummond of the RCIP stated: “Tell the whole world we need assistance. We need not only food and construction supplies, but also manpower.”

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