Rain is forecast to drench the Cayman Islands just a week after Tropical Storm Helene caused widespread flooding.
Floodwaters have yet to recede in many low-lying areas and there are fears that the combination of high tides, soaked ground and a full water table will mean flooding occurs far faster with the next downpour.
Roads in George Town and Savannah have remained flooded for days now with waters showing little signs of receding before Wednesday’s expected thunderstorm.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Cayman Islands National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for Wednesday and Thursday, saying that flooding is expected in low-lying areas.
On Wednesday, the weather service expects cloudy skies with thundershowers that may become locally heavy at times, and temperatures that rise to the mid-80s °F. Small craft operators were told to exercise caution with wave heights reaching 3 to 5 feet, especially along the southern coasts.
Sandbag stations were set up across Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, with members of the Cayman Islands Regiment helping residents fill sandbags to protect property from the incoming floods.
At one of the more central sites, just off Linford Pierson Highway, a steady stream of cars and trucks arrived and were loaded up with sandbags with the help of the the regiment’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Roger Carter, as well as Staff Sergeant Jason Mears and Lance Corporal Brian Barnes.
Lieutenant Colonel Carter told Cayman Compass that they were there to assist anyone who needed fresh sandbags. He advised that bags and sand would be left on site for people to collect later if needed. Many people had already stocked up with sandbags in preparation for Tropical Storm Helene, which strengthened to a hurricane before making landfall in Florida.
Sandbags that have made contact with previous floodwaters should not be reused and should be dumped at the landfill, the weather service said.
The US National Hurricane Center has marked an area of disorganised showers over the northwestern Caribbean with a 40% chance of development over the next seven days. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service said it would continue to monitor this area for any development.
Workers from the National Roads Authority have been tackling floodwaters since last week by unblocking drains. Many areas of low-lying water have been unable to drain due to the full water table lying below ground level.
The NRA could not be reached for comment on the number of roads still flooded since Tropical Storm Helene or what preparations were being made ahead of the next bout of bad weather.
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