More than a week after Hurricane Ian brushed past Grand Cayman, many trees along the island’s shoreline are still showing impacts from the storm, with some entirely covered with dead and dying leaves.
The hurricane’s high winds carried spray thrown up by the surging sea hundreds of feet inland, causing salt burns on the foliage.
From North Side to West Bay, trees are looking prematurely autumnal, with dead brown leaves hanging limply on branches. On some, not a single living leaf can be seen, while on others, only the side facing the sea has been impacted.
But, Fred Burton, manager of the Department of Environment Terrestrial Resources Unit, said it is not unusual to see this following a big storm.
“This is indeed normal,” he said. “Typically the trees do recover, but depending on which species, it may be total recovery, or partial.”
He added, “This is how trees that are constantly affected by salt spray get shaped so it looks like they are growing away from the sea.”
Related Videos
