🌀 Cayman Islands breathe sigh of relief as Hurricane Beryl moves away

The Cayman Islands Government has issued an all-clear for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman as Hurricane Beryl begins to move away. However, Grand Cayman is still under a shelter-in-place direction due to the outer bands of Beryl, a category 3 hurricane, continuing to pass to the south. The hurricane brought heavy rain and thunderstorms, but the winds have significantly calmed. Officials have urged residents to stay off the roads to allow for damage assessments. 🌧️

Despite the intensity of the storm, the impact appears to have been confined to specific locations on the south coast of Grand Cayman, such as South Sound. The Water Authority has restored water across Grand Cayman and urged people to report any leaks or damage. Electricity and communication services have largely held up, with no major power loss reported. However, more than 1,500 customers in East End and North Side were without power Thursday morning. On Little Cayman, power was turned off to protect their older system but has since been restored. 🌩️

Hurricane Beryl has broken several records, being the first category 4 storm on record to form in June. This behavior, more typical of a late Atlantic season hurricane, is seen as a sign of things to come. Experts predict that 2024 will be a very busy season, largely due to a transition from La Niña to El Niño and the intensely hot waters across the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. The government is expected to issue a statement during a live broadcast at 1:00pm Thursday. 📢