This season saw one of the strongest hurricanes in history and The Cayman Islands was spared. Many of our fellow territories, however, were not, and as we remember the devastation of Hurricane Ivan in Cayman we reach out to those in need to offer our support. Please see below the Cayman Islands response to Hurricane Irma to date:
Anguilla
- On 12 September 2017 the Government of the Cayman Islands flew a Cayman Airways 737-300 to Anguilla carrying approximately 16,000 lbs of relief aid and 11 medical personnel and the head the Cayman Islands Emergency Management Department. The medical relief team and the head of Emergency Management will remain in Anguilla for two weeks, at which time a second Cayman Airways flight will return to deliver a fresh team of personnel needed for the continued recovery.
- The Premier of the Cayman Islands Hon. Alden McLaughlin led the delegation to deliver the relief supplies and to personally offer Anguillan Chief Minister, Victor Banks assurances of the Cayman Islands’ solidarity and support. Chief Minister Banks took Premier McLaughlin on a brief tour while the cargo was unloaded.
- The medical supply list was provided by Anguilla’s Government and was donated by local hospitals and pharmacies.
- The water, food and non-medical items were provided by the Cayman Islands Government to Anguilla’s Government to assist them with ongoing relief. These items consisted of 5,000 lbs of drinking water, 100 tarpaulins and 250 relief kits as well as food.
- On the return flight home two Anguillan citizens were evacuated to the Cayman Islands. One of the citizens was a medical evacuee and has been admitted to Health City Cayman Islands.
British Virgin Islands
- Sixteen Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) officers were dispatched to the British Virgin Islands following an urgent request from the Governor of B.V.I.
- A Cayman Airways flight took the contingent of police officers from Grand Cayman to Barbados where they were flown on an RAF Flight to Tortola.
- RCIPS officers, were the first policing reinforcements to arrive in the BVI.
- Danielle Coleman, Deputy Director of Preparedness and Planning with Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) deployed to the BVI to assist with aid efforts.
Turks and Caicos Islands
- RCIPS helicopter and crew were dispatched to the Turks and Caicos Islands and arrived immediately after Hurricane Irma on Saturday.
- The helicopter and crew has been assisting with aerial reconnaissance and support. They have completed over 35 flights, including two medevacs, and have visited all islands to check on residents, delivering supplies and water, and carrying out damage assessments.
- They were joined on Tuesday by an advance UK Military team, and are now coordinating efforts in assessments to establish aid, engineering and reconstruction plans.
Within the Cayman Islands and On Island Assistance for evacuees
- The Cayman Islands Government has sought to assist individuals seeking to leave a hurricane ravaged island or send their loved ones (small children) to the Cayman Islands for the interim.
- The Ministry for Immigration and the Department of Immigration have been facilitating easier entrance to the islands for those arriving in Cayman from an islands impacted by Irma.
- The Ministry of Education has worked with all public and private schools to identify available spaces so that school aged children who are relocated with their families may continue their education during their time in the Cayman Islands.
- The Ministry of Agriculture is identifying a location for a temporary quarantine which will allow those arriving in Cayman with pets from an Irma damaged island to safely bring their pet on island.
- Over 170 people from Overseas Territories affected by the hurricanes have been temporarily relocated to the Cayman Islands working for their offices remotely.