Unusual Weather Event in Little Cayman

Published 19th April, 11:28am

The Director of National Weather Service, Fred Sambula confirmed that a weather event did some property damage in Little Cayman shortly after 7 pm on April 18th, 2010.

According to Mr. Sambula, "There was an area of thunderstorms with strong convection in the general area of the Sister Islands, but in the absence of Doppler radar, it is impossible to confirm exactly what occurred. We know that areas of strong convection can produce micro bursts and spin ups that are usually short lived and very localized, however it is also possible to get a strong burst of wind during squally conditions."

Acting District Officer for Little Cayman, Faith Scott said that at around 7.10 pm an eye witness described seeing a tornado (or something like a tornado) in the Lighthouse Point area on the South West side of Little Cayman. "No one was injured, but it lifted up the roof of the Lighthouse Point Condominiums and then set it back down. Ceiling damage has resulted to a number of these condominiums.

While there has been no confirmation that the property damage in Little Cayman was actually caused by a tornado, it is not unusual to see waterspouts in the nearshore waters and open waters of the Cayman Islands, but they rarely come ashore.

What should you do?

Take waterspouts seriously. If you are a boater or a person living along the coast you should be aware of their destructive potential. When warnings are issued for waterspouts, be prepared to quickly seek safe harbor, or to find shelter out of the path of the waterspout.

For further information contact: Simon Boxall