After waking up around 4:30 and then getting back to sleep around 5:15 we slept in until 8:45. A quick look outside reveals a mostly overcast morning with gusts still occurring with decreasing frequency. We should keep having those gusts until around one in the afternoon. Gustav has apparently grown to a category three this morning as it moves over the warm waters west of us. We are very fortunate he waited to grow until after passing through our Islands. We have the mountains of Jamaica and the fact that he stayed a tropical storm while passing over that Island to thank for that. In looking at our parking lot we got a surprisingly small amount of rain and didn't see any tree's or limbs down. Even the small tree next to where we park which we both thought wouldn't make it through the night is still standing. The spot where we park wasn't flooded at all and the two areas that water always accumulates even from a normal rain had pools but not huge ones. The all clear has not yet been given as of 8:00 a.m. so we wont go get our car until this afternoon at the earliest. There is apparently heavy wave action and will be for the next 24 hours with heights pushing 14-16 feet.
The Net News has the following damage reports for the three Islands:
Little Cayman A number of light poles are down. Some are described as “cracked in half.” Trees were also toppled by the hurricane. Several docks are reported destroyed. Several boats have been washed ashore. Debris clutters the roads making them difficult to pass. As the storm was approaching, a couple was treated by the nurse after being washed into the sea. They had been on a dock taking photographs. Other than these two, there are no reported injuries at this time. Damage to the Southern Cross Club has been reported.
Cayman Brac A number of light poles are reported down.
Grand Cayman During the night, an East End shelter lost generator power. A great deal of debris was washed ashore near The Edge in North Side. There are many reports coming into the NEOC of downed trees, including one that fell on a shelter warden’s car. Fallen trees blocking main roads will have priority for cleanup
Unlike Jamaica and Haiti where there are reports of deaths it appears we have escaped with just some damage to property and a few injuries. So long as Andreas made it we will have weathered this storm none the worse for wear.
