Gov’t, Opposition unite for storm prep as Cayman readies for Ian

24 September 2022

After a tumultuous week politically, legislators worked in tandem Saturday to help constituents prepare for the arrival of Tropical Storm Ian, which is set to become a hurricane upon approaching the island early Monday.

Health Minister Sabrina Turner assisting with offloading sandbags Saturday. -Photo: Sabrina Turner Facebook Page

In a message on the eve of the arrival of the expected weather associated with storm, Premier Wayne Panton lauded the teamwork between government members and the Opposition.

“I think this is probably one of the first times I can remember the government working with the opposition. So there’s all 19 constituencies and their representatives working together to ensure that our people are made as safe as possible… that supplies, plywood, in some cases sandbags, are distributed so they can safely weather this storm,” he said.

Grand Cayman moved from Hurricane Watch to Hurricane Warning Saturday afternoon.

Many in the community have been preparing for the storm, and in some cases lending a helping hand to others.

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“I am proud to see our community come together in making preparations both
calmly and pragmatically for a storm like this,” Premier Panton said.

Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart, in a message on Friday night, urged the community to ensure they are ready for storm.

“If you haven’t already done so, get your hurricane supplies, secure your homes and take all necessary steps to protect your property. Some hardware stores will be open during the day on Sunday if needed, but do not wait till then to prepare yourselves. Locate the nearest hurricane shelter and make plans to go there as soon as they are open if you are unable to safely shelter at home,” he said.

McTaggart, who together with his fellow MPs were distributing hurricane supplies, also pleaded with the community for “your own safety” to follow all instructions and advice by official sources.

In a statement on his official Facebook page, Governor Martyn Roper urged the community to remain calm and “ensure we are organised and fully prepared”.

“I’m pleased that the UK Ministry of Defense team (OLRT) are already getting to work. Today they’ve been helping out with stocking the shelters with food supplies. I spoke to the Commander of Royal Navy ship HMS Medway, which is still on track to follow the storm in on Monday and arrive in our territorial waters,” Roper said.

“Let’s hope we do not need them but they are there if we do. Please take care everyone. We have strong response systems in place to protect our community, excellently led by Hazard Management CI.”

Meanwhile, Cayman Islands Regiment Commander Simon Watson told the Cayman Compass on Saturday afternoon he is readying his team of reservists ahead of the storm.

“We have a hundred reservists, men and women, drawn from all the communities across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, and they will be deployed with operational vehicles and support vehicles in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac as of Sunday morning,” Watson said.

He said that some of the Regiment’s likely tasks will be the setup and manning of the emergency hurricane shelters, evacuation of personnel, route clearance, and clearance post storm.

“We’ll be working with the emergency services, government agencies and the community to ensure that the Cayman Islands are safe this time,” he added.

For the latest information on storm activity in the Cayman Islands, as well as information on how to prepare for hurricane season, visit Storm Centre.