EDITORIAL: Heavy rains and floods forecasted

The peak of the hurricane season may have passed but the tropics are still active. During the next few days, residents of the Cayman Islands will experience heavy rains and flooding as we have been told to expect a 40% – 60% chance of showers and thunder. This will be caused by a broad area of low pressure along with the movement of a tropical wave across the Western Caribbean which will help support showers and thunder across the Cayman area.

According to the National Weather Service, showers may be locally heavy at times. Winds will be Southerly at 5 to 10 knots with higher gust and the sea state will be slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet.

The fifth hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season roared into the record books late Saturday when it became the strongest storm ever observed so far north and east in this part of the Atlantic Ocean.

We are not out of the woods yet as we are eight weeks left from the end of the 2019 hurricane season

Residents should have completed their hurricane preparations and use this opportunity to prepare their cisterns, patch leaks and check their rain gear.

The Cayman Islands is prone to flooding as this photo shows. The picture was taken one day after hurricane Ivan had passed in 2004, and shows the Cayman National Roundabout in Georgetown under water.

Residents are encouraged to pay attention to media sources on a regular basis for updates and changing weather patterns that may disrupt daily living during the next 2 months. Caymanian Times will publish weekly tips that will keep our readers updated during the 2019 season.