The Cayman Islands government has given residents of Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman the green light to exit their homes and shelters following the passage of Hurricane Rafael.
But despite the all clear, residents have been urged “to avoid unnecessary travel as fallen debris, downed power lines and other hazards may be present. Marine and Coastal Warnings remain in effect and the public is asked to refrain from coastlines and entering waters until additional directives have been given.”
A damage assessment is ongoing on Little Cayman which received most of Rafael’s impact overnight.
At 7am, Rafael’s centre of circulation was located 260 kilometres south-southeast of Havana, Cuba.
Earlier today, Deputy Governor and Chair of the National Hazard Management Council, Franz Manderson, confirmed there were no reports of fatalities on Little Cayman despite the damage.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters in the sister islands, especially Little Cayman, which suffered the brunt of Hurricane Rafael overnight. At the same time, we thank the Lord that although there is damage, there has been no reported loss of life. We expect the outer bands of the hurricane to bring intermittent bad weather,” he said.
Government offices on Little Cayman will remain closed while services reopened on Grand Cayman from 8:30am.
Manderson thanked both public servants and private sector partners for their efforts to ensure the territory was ready to weather Rafael, which was the 18th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season.