Impact of Hurricane Ivan report, Part I

Angela Martins

Friday,  January 21, 2005

This is Part I of a five part series which summarizes ‘The Impact of Hurricane Ivan in the Cayman Islands’ (Ivan Report) an 85 page report, released by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), of the United Nations. Part I provides an introduction to the report and describes the event of Hurricane Ivan, the affected population and emergency relief efforts.

“The Ivan Report looks in detail at what has happened in Cayman,” said Angela Martins, Executive Director of the Cayman Islands National Recovery Fund. “It covers a broad range of things including the total impact from Hurricane Ivan which was US$3.4 billion for the Cayman Islands, which was more than the total damage of Grenada, Bahamas, Jamaica and Dominican Republic combined. This added up to 133% of the Cayman’s Gross National Product.” 

“Of the $3.4 billion in total impact, $1.4 billion of that was housing damage alone,” added Mrs Martins.

Ivan was one of the most damaging hurricanes of the 2004 season categorized as the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in ten years. On September 7 and 8, it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed 16 people as it swept over the country, Barbados and the other Islands in the area. 

By September 9, Ivan’s sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a category 5 hurricane.

On September 11, Ivan began affecting Cayman Brac and Little Cayman with tropical storm winds and Grand Cayman also began experiencing tropical storm winds later that afternoon. By 10 pm, the eye of the hurricane was 113 miles southeast off Grand Cayman, with hurricane force winds over 100 mph being recorded. 

At 5 am on Sunday, the storm surge from the North Sound was peaking at 10 feet. The hurricane made its closest approach at 10 am when the eye passed 21 miles southwest of Grand Cayman with 150 mph winds and gusts of 220 mph. 

Given the long strips of land with very little elevation, except Cayman Brac, which has a 140-foot bluff, the territories are highly-exposed and vulnerable. Grand Cayman suffered the brunt of the storm in all its intensity.

Two people died on Grand Cayman and 35,189 people were displaced, 83% of Grand Cayman. Everyone experienced loss of electricity, water and access to telecommunications, and work still continues to restore full electricity and water supply. 

Districts such as Bodden Town were completely isolated and many individuals across the Island were isolated in their homes due to high water and debris.

The three most affected districts were George Town, Bodden Town and East End, accounting for 17% of Grand Cayman’s population.

Approximately 10,470 people left the Island between 9 through 30 September. As a result of the disaster, 6,000 people were evacuated and sheltered. Non-formal shelters opened as the formal shelters either lost their roofs or were inundated by water, forcing those occupying them to flee or to be evacuated to other locations. The Civic Centre in Bodden Town was an example of a formal centre having to be evacuated. Some 195 people were removed to higher ground as water inundated the building. Many of those taking shelter were elderly. 

The burden of care for family and the elderly continues to fall on women, leaving them in the post disaster phase of relief and reconstruction over-burdened. Issues such as the reopening of schools and the cost of pre-school education place a particular burden on women. There are reports of increased domestic violence and gambling among men, with depression and thoughts of suicide on the increase among women, as well as affecting children. 

The National Hurricane Committee was well-prepared with designated shelters, shelter wardens assigned and a basic stock of supplies in place. However, nothing could have prepared the population for hurricane force winds of 155-200 mph and the eight-foot rise in sea level, which devastated everything in its path.

For more than 24 hours, the whole of the population had no respite from the pounding winds, rain and seas.

The next day, airport services were restarted and some roads were made passable. Basic food, water and other relief supplies were distributed. Supermarkets and other businesses donated necessities to the public.

British Royal navy ships provided supplies and humanitarian assistance in the first four days. Families and friends sent relief supplies, supplementing provisions sent by the Red Cross and other international agencies. Many private companies and representatives from Jamaica, Barbados, Honduras and other parts of Central and South America, the USA, Canada, UK and South Africa, arranged evacuation flights and assistance for their nationals. Collected data shows local and foreign sources for relief were CI$3,773.347.

The next article in this five part series will examine the damage to tourism, agriculture and commerce. The full Ivan Report can be downloaded from the Internet at www.gov.ky under ‘Latest News.’

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