Early reports from Grand Cayman this morning were that a now monstrous Category 4 Hurricane Paloma had caused some damage and flooding along the eastern and southern coasts of the island.
But the damage was generally not thought to be severe.
At 5am Government issued a 7am all clear for Grand Cayman, but withdrew it within minutes. No reason was given.
For the Sister Islands the worst was yet to come.
At 5am, government officials said the eye of the hurricane was over Little Cayman. Residents of the tiny island were urged not to go outdoors during the 30-60 minute lull period.
Forecasters said Hurricane Paloma has strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm with top sustained winds of 135 mph The storm continued to crawl along at some 7mph in the early morning hours just southwest of Little Cayman.
It was positioned about 75 miles east of Grand Cayman at 4am.
The storm could strengthen even further this morning before it begins to weaken later in the day and on Sunday.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami say data from a hurricane hunter aircraft indicated that shortly before 5am EST, the storm’s intensity increased to a Category 4, which has top sustained winds of at least 131 mph.
Paloma is headed toward Cuba and could strike the hurricane-ravaged island Saturday.
Hurricanes Ike and Gustav struck the communist island in late August and together caused an estimated $9.4 billion in damage.
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