For the latest information on Hurricane Beryl, visit Storm Centre.
Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly has warned that police will not tolerate incidents of looting while Cayman’s population is hunkered down for the impending Hurricane Beryl.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, along with other government officials, the premier said while the ‘stay-in-place’ notice issued earlier in the day was not an official curfew, Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton had the discretion to implement one if necessary.
Noting that there had been reports of looting in some eastern Caribbean jurisdictions where the hurricane had already struck, O’Connor-Connolly said the commissioner had the full backing of herself and her government to do “whatever is necessary to maintain law and order in this territory”.
But, she added that if people were responsible, as they had been in the past three days as they prepared for the storm, she was sure the commissioner would not be forced to “be punitive”.
The premier said as Cayman had undergone “quite a bit of curfews” during COVID, the government had opted not to implement one during the storm.
A ‘stay in place’ advisory comes into effect at 6pm today, as Hurricane Beryl moves closer to the Cayman Islands.
Walton appealed to residents to remain at home while the advisory is in place, and warned that in the event that a mandatory curfew is implemented, those who breach it would face a $3,000 fine or a year in prison.
He recommended that people adhere to the hurricane warnings and stay indoors, so as not to put themselves or others, including first responders, in danger.
UK ship in region
Hurricane Beryl, on its current trajectory, is expected to pass, at its closest point, 69 miles south of Grand Cayman at about 4:30am Thursday – bringing strong winds, thunderstorms and widespread flooding.
Cayman has been preparing for the arrival of the potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm since the weekend. Beryl has caused widespread damage in Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Barbados.
To help respond to the aftermath of the storm, Governor Jane Owen, also speaking at the press briefing, said a UK Navy ship was in the region, and was on standby to come to Cayman to assist, if needed.
Owen, stating that this was her first experience with a major hurricane since she arrived in Cayman last year, said she had been impressed by the “resilience and resourcefulness” of the people of the Cayman Islands as they prepare for the storm.
Despite a general election, which is scheduled for tomorrow, the UK government has been monitoring the situation in the Cayman Islands, and is prepared to offer support if and when necessary, the governor said, adding that she had been in daily contact with colleagues in Britain.
Evacuations from the island
Cayman’s airports are closing today in preparation for the impacts of Hurricane Beryl, with many tourists and some residents opting to leave the island before the storm arrives.
Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan said more than 1,000 people had left the island over the past couple of days on the 24 evacuation flights that had been organised by Cayman Airways and various international airlines.
He said efforts had been made to ensure the safety of visitors who had decided to stay on island.
Medical assistance
Health Minister Sabrina Turner, who also spoke at the briefing, noted that all outpatient clinics and pharmacies are now closed, and that all elective surgeries are cancelled.
The Accident and Emergency departments at the Cayman Islands Hospital and Faith Hospital remain open, she said, but she urged people to only attend in the event of a “true medical emergency”.
She noted, however, that the A&E at Faith Hospital had been relocated to the Aston Rutty Medical Wing.
She added that, during tropical-storm-winds, 911 responders will only respond “on an individual basis and depending on risk assessment”.
“Emergency service vehicles will not be able to operate in tropical-force winds,” she said.
In a medical emergency, those who need assistance on Cayman Brac during the storm can call 244-7643, she said, while those on Little Cayman can call the local health centre on 916-5395.
Turner emphasised that district health centres were not hurricane shelters for the public, and urged anyone who needed to leave their homes, to go to their nearest district hurricane shelter.
Check back later for more on the government press conference.
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