Flood challenges were identified as ‘priority’ over two decades ago

Developing a national strategy to prevent the kind of major flooding events that have plagued Grand Cayman neighbourhoods in recent weeks was identified as an urgent priority as far back as 2003.

The need for a national stormwater management plan to lessen the impact of heavy rainfall was outlined in a report that warned “doing nothing” was not an option.

The government Stormwater Management Committee, in its 2003 report, also warned continued loss of wetlands and pasture land to new construction would likely increase the problem and recommended flood-risk analysis be factored into development and transport planning.

The report, written at a time when the islands’ population was less than half what it is today, warned that without a comprehensive national strategy homes and businesses were at risk.

It stated that “doing nothing is neither viable nor acceptable” and the “ramifications of no comprehensive approach to stormwater management are numerous and far reaching”.

The report went on to identify the need for better development controls to ensure new construction on empty lots didn’t increase flooding in neighbouring homes.

Despite those warnings, the bulk of the advice contained in the report does not appear to have been followed.

Flooding has got significantly worse in some problem areas and new locations have also been heavily impacted in recent storms as neighbouring development has seen empty lots filled in.

A shortlist of the worst impacted areas, in the 2003 report, included Randyke Gardens, South Sound and North Sound Estates – all of which continue to be blighted by increased flooding.

National Roads Authority managing director Edward Howard, who was on the 2003 committee as a Public Works Department staffer, spoke out last month about the need for a stormwater management plan.

Echoing many of the ideas in the decades-old report, he called for a national approach to the problem.

The Compass understands that the Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure, which has oversight of the NRA among other relevant departments, is considering how to update and apply the 2003 plan

The ministry didn’t respond to questions about what aspects of the recommendations were followed.

Mark Scotland, a former Cabinet minister who was deputy director of public works and part of the 2003 task force, said some work had been done to mitigate the issues. But he acknowledged the primary recommendation of a national stormwater management plan had not yet been carried through.

He said the issue had become more complex because of the growth of Cayman in the interim. Empty lots that had once served as drainage have now been developed as the island’s population has grown from just over 40,000 in 2003 to almost 90,000 today.

“There has obviously been continued development and much more severe rainfall events which have increased the challenges.

“We need to determine what does a national stormwater management plan look like and how do you integrate that with a development plan?” he said.

Scotland added that much of the newer builds were better protected because of planning regulations that required buildings to start at a higher level above sea level. He cautioned that some older properties may ultimately need to be rebuilt to the same standard.

At the moment, developers are required to take care of stormwater on their own property, but there are legal difficulties in attempting to make them responsible for drainage issues in the community at large.

Speaking on government radio following Tropical Storm Helene last month, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Jay Ebanks said another task force was being put together to come up with a plan.

He acknowledged, however, that there was no money in the government budget – which runs through the end of 2025 – for any major works, and that a national solution was still a long way off.

Ebanks added, “There is going to be significant amount of money that needs to be put aside first to create a proper stormwater management plan.”

Many of the issues now being encountered in neighbourhoods across Cayman were identified in the report form the 2003 task force.

“Increased land development without properly designed stormwater management controls result in increased levels and frequency of flooding, degradation of water quality, and destruction of freshwater and marine ecosystems,” a consultants statement included in the 2003 document noted.

It recommended stormwater management policies be integrated into development and transportation planning and warned, “Failure to take action (or inaction) in development of a Storm Water Management plan, will result in increased flooding for residents, businesses and government – even in minor storm events.”

The consultants added, “We feel strongly that anything less than a comprehensive plan of attack will only forestall problems temporarily. The challenge before the Government, and by extension, the [Stormwater Management Committee] are significant – and while by no means insurmountable, warrant immediate attention.”