Heavy rains cause flooding in Grand Cayman

(CMR) Following a heavy downpour that caused flooding in some areas, the Cayman Islands National Weather Service said it is closely monitoring the weather and expects another heavy downpour today.

The intermediary update from the NWS is that we are expecting another band of heavy rain around 4 pm today. The current sustained high tides are making normal drainage more difficult.

There are no concerns at present that this is a developing system. We are simply experiencing periodic heavy rains and winds. This weather will persist through the weekend with forecasts for slightly improved weather tomorrow and Thursday and heavier rains on Friday through Monday.

The NRA has deployed all available assets to clear drains. Vacuum trucks have been deployed to known low-lying areas, and they will be working throughout this period to respond as needed. Non-essential civil service teams will be encouraged to work remotely to reduce traffic starting from this afternoon.

Meantime, the Cayman Islands Government is urging residents to solidify their hurricane preparedness plans and activities as the 2023 hurricane season begins to heighten.

The Cayman Islands National Weather Service (CINWS) is currently monitoring Tropical Storm Franklin, which is located approximately 230 miles south-southwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The storm poses no direct threat to the Cayman Islands. In addition to Tropical Storm Franklin, there are two other named systems, Emily and Gert, and two other disturbances with the potential to develop into tropical depressions within the next 48-72 hours.

Acting CINWS Director General Kerry Powery said that the Service was paying close attention to the advisories from the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre on all the currently active systems. “At present, these systems pose no threat to the Cayman Islands, but [the public can] rest assured that the National Weather Service continues to monitor all tropical activity during the hurricane season,” he stated in an interview on CIG TV.

The public is encouraged to prioritize stocking and replenishing hurricane essentials from now through the remainder of the season. For a concise list of these items and other important hurricane-related information, members of the public should visit caymanprepared.ky/hurricanes.