Nov 08 2008
Hurricane Paloma gathers Strength – Category 4 – The Cayman Islands - Caribbean Sea - Cuba
The Eye Of The Storm As Captured Earlier Today
Category 4 and on Course For Grand Cayman
Arriving late in the Hurricane season, Hurricane Paloma is looking extremely dangerous. It is on a direct collision course for the low-lying, Caribbean, Cayman Islands. The hurricane is already category 4, with top sustained winds of almost 140 mph. The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Centre in Miami states that Hurricane Paloma is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane in Cuba, late Saturday or early Sunday. Paloma will bring with it with maximum-sustained winds of at least 111 mph.
Earlier in this year’s hurricane season, hurricanes Gustav and Ike have already slammed into Cuba, and collectively caused an estimated $9.4 billion in damage. Paloma started as a tropical depression but soon gathered strength in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, and today huge 3 meter waves lashed upon Cuban shores. Grand Cayman is a mainly unprotected, sea level island giving it little protection when hurricanes strike.
The Cayman Islands are actually made up of the peaks of a huge underwater ridge which stands 8,000 feet from the sea floor, called the Cayman Trench. Grand Cayman is one part of the Islands, the others being, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, and the islands lie south of Cuba and west of Jamaica in the centre of the Caribbean Sea.
Hurricane Paloma is heading towards the central-eastern city of Camaguey, which was the target for Hurricane Ike in September. Both Gustav and Ike caused a combined devastation to the tune of $9.4 billion and the crops of Cuba have been hard hit and a third of Cuba’s crops were ravaged, which has resulted in widespread shortages of fresh produce on the island.
People have been urged to evacuate and any remaining residents have been told to stay off ground and first floor dwellings. The airport was also closed Friday morning in preparation. Water service across Grand Cayman was turned off, and power would be cut off as the storm neared. Hazard management director Barbara Carby said. “We have asked everybody to come off the streets and to be home and safe right now,” she said.
The Cayman Islands is British territory with huge tourism interests. It is a major international financial centre and a tax-haven of dependent banking. The Cayman Islands have, however, unfortunately experienced the most hurricane strikes in history.
After striking the Cayman Islands, Forecasters expect Paloma to weaken into a tropical storm and then veer south of Florida through the Bahamas and into the Atlantic Ocean. –
Christianna Garrett-Martin
Oh no! My parents are meant to be going to Grand Cayman on the 17th as a part of their cruise. I’ve sent them a warning text message about it, I do hope the hurricane won’t cause too much devastation!
A very interesting piece of writing from you there, hurricanes are clearly something you’re very passionate about and this is therefore something that has come across here. A very enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading many more hurricane alert news posts from you in the future!