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The Sister Islands have been placed under a tropical storm alert Thursday night based on the current track of Tropical Storm Elsa, Hazard Management Cayman Islands has said.
Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who is the Chairman of the National Hazard Management Council issued the tropical Storm Alert as of 6 pm, based on the advice from the Director General of the Cayman Islands National Weather Service and the Director of Hazard Management Cayman Islands, an HMCI statement said.
A tropical storm ‘alert’ means that tropical storm force winds are possible in Little Cayman and Cayman Brac within 72 hours.
“On the current forecast track, Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to pass 70 miles away from the Sister Islands, but due to uncertainty in the models for both the track and intensity of Tropical Storm Elsa, the Alert is being issued as a precaution,” the statement said.
Residents of the Sister Islands are urged to closely monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Elsa.
“The District Commissioner for the Sister Islands, Mark Tibbetts, has confirmed that preparations are already underway stand up the Emergency Shelter at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. District Officer Tate McFarlane is also ensuring that Little Cayman is ready for the potential threat,” the statement said.
Additionally, it said, the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) on both Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are on standby.
Further details will be issued on Friday, but HMCI has urged that all residents, including those on Grand Cayman are encouraged to closely monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Elsa.
Tropical Storm Elsa, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, is 345 miles east southeast of Barbados and 460 miles east southeast of St Vincent and is moving in a west-northwest direction.
Flight change fees waived
Cayman Airways has implemented change fee waivers for weekend flights as it continues to monitor the progression of the storm.
In a statement Thursday CAL said no changes to existing flights are anticipated at this time, but may become necessary depending on weather conditions.
“If it becomes necessary to cancel a repatriation flight, then the airline will endeavor to operate a recovery flight when it is safe to do so. A change fee waiver has been authorized for passengers with existing tickets for travel between Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac or Little Cayman. The waiver will only apply to tickets purchased for travel between Thursday July 1, 2021 through Monday July 5, 2021,” it said.
Any applicable fare difference will apply, the statement, adding that change fees do not apply to repatriation flights.
“Passengers travelling on repatriation flights may voluntarily change their reservations without change fees. However, passengers should consider that seats on alternate repatriation flights may not always be available,” it added.
Humane Society issues appeal
The Cayman Islands Humane Society has issued an emergency evacuation plea for foster homes for animals at its George Town shelter.
Additional watches issued as Elsa continues movement
Both the governments of the Dominican Republic and Jamaica have issued Tropical Storm Watches.
The southern coast of the Dominican Republic from the Haiti/Dominican Republic border eastward to Punta Palenque is under the watch and Jamaica.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Elsa is moving toward the west-northwest near 28 mph (44 km/h) and this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days, the NHC said.
“On the forecast track, Elsa will pass near or over portions of the Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands on Friday, move into the eastern Caribbean Sea late Friday and Friday night, and move near the southern coast of Hispaniola on Saturday. By Sunday, Elsa is forecast to move near Jamaica and portions of eastern Cuba,” it added in its advisory.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts.
“Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles (150 km) mainly to the north of the center,” the NHC said.
The advisory warned that storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds along the southern coast of Hispaniola.
In the meantime, residents of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are encouraged to make preparations; including ensuring they have supplies of non-perishable food and bottled water.
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