(CMR) Management at the local establishment Tillie's Restaurant located at the Palm Heights boutique hotel on West Bay Road was insisting that employees return to work before the all-clear was given earlier on Saturday.
The message was indicated that everyone needed to go to work to prepare for tomorrow's brunch despite the fact that the weather conditions and roadways were still not clear.
CMR has received WhatsApp messages send at around 2:31 p.m. claiming that “we really need everyone hands on deck” and that the “storm has passed.”
Some persons responded that they were not able to come in because of flooding or property damage from the storm.
The Cayman Islands Government had issued severe weather warnings and opened shelters as Tropical Storm Eta passed dangerously close to the islands with 35mph winds. The system shifted slightly in a more favorable direction during the course of the day with the worse passing earlier than initially anticipated.
The all-clear was given for 4:00 p.m. by the Deputy Governor and the National Emergency Management Council.
CMR also received video footage clearly showing employees attempting to get the resort ready by holding down a canopy. The winds and sea were still visibly blowing hard.
Other footage showed how dangerous winds were whipping the balcony furniture off at the Kimpton Seafire Resort – a deadly situation of flying debris that could easily have killed anyone on the beach or on the ground below.
There have been ongoing concerns that employers are free to do as they please during national disasters with no mandates from the government. One Rubis gas station was also open on West Bay Road and employees were only permitted to go home after significant deterioration and roadways.
While the government was instructing people to stay at home and only traverse the roadways in the event of an emergency they were having to attempt to reach back home with severe flooding and down powerlines.
Tropical Storm Eta was not a major storm but still caused widespread flooding and damage across Grand Cayman.
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