World Disaster Reduction Day: Early Warning!
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Caymans, Jamaica survey hurricane's devastation
13 Sep 2004 22:01:28 GMT
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By Horace Helps KINGSTON, Jamaica, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Cars floated in the streets and holes gaped where palm trees once stood in the Cayman Islands and in Jamaica residents surveyed damaged homes, blocked roads and flattened businesses. Hurricane Ivan, heading toward the western end of Cuba on Monday, has killed at least 68 people and left a trail of devastation in the Caribbean. In the Cayman Islands, a low-lying offshore finance center that is home to 45,000 people, it tore the roofs from houses and buildings when it hit on Sunday, including the offices of Maples and Calder, a law firm in the British territory, said senior partner Anthony Travers. "There are virtually no trees left. Cars are floating in the streets," Travers told his firm in London, which relayed his comments to reporters. The island's government reported extensive water damage to buildings after a storm surge that sent panicked residents climbing onto kitchen counters to escape floodwaters. There were no hurricane-related casualties in the Caymans by Monday afternoon, the government said. But with most telephone service down, Internet chat rooms brimmed with messages from people around the world anxious about the welfare of friends and family. In Jamaica, the Caribbean reggae island of 2.7 million people swiped by Ivan on Friday night and Saturday, at least 19 deaths were attributed to the storm. Jamaican authorities said the south-central parish of Clarendon appeared to be hardest hit. Many houses were washed away or damaged and livestock was wiped out, officials said. Paula Brown, a Clarendon resident, lost her chicken farm. "The chicken houses are flat. Every single bird in the stock of over 20,000 drowned," she said. "The good thing is that it was insured but we don't know how soon we will get compensated." Dozens of main roads on the island were blocked and several villages were inaccessible. Government teams were trying to bring food and clothing to thousands of people. "Everything we have is gone here at home," said Clarendon resident Terrence Minott. "The hurricane blew the entire roof off our six-bedroom house and all our possessions are damaged. We will just have to throw away some of the things." The Jamaica Public Service Company said electricity had been restored to about 5 percent of customers. Power had been switched off in both the Caymans and Jamaica as the storm approached.
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