MIAMI -- Hurricane damage and cleanup
continue to dominate Caribbean news, with relief efforts gaining
momentum for the islands most impacted by Hurricane Ivan and
Tropical Storm Jeanne.
At midweek, the two latest storms --
Karl and Lisa -- did not pose any immediate threats to land, but
Jeanne, although now far east of the Bahamas, seemed unpredictable
and could wobble westward again.
Heres a partial recap
throughout the region:
" Cayman
Islands. George Town, Grand Cayman, is functioning
again with some electricity running, several banks and gas stations
open, grocery stores stocked and long lines at hardware stores.
Water has been turned on for several hours each day in some parts
of the island. Power and phone service remain out in many parts of
Grand Cayman; and Cayman Airways is running relief flights only
through Sept. 30.
Ezzat Coutry,
Ritz-Carltons senior vice president in charge of Caribbean, Florida
and Mexico hotels, said the new Ritz-Carlton on Seven Mile Beach
survived intact without a single window broken. We build our new
hotels according to South Florida building codes established after
Hurricane Andrew in 92. The Ritz, which had a Dec. 14 opening
scheduled, has projected a new opening date of late in the first
quarter or the beginning of the second quarter of 2005, Coutry
said. No reopening dates have been announced by other
properties.
Relief agencies and
drop off points in New York and Florida for emergency supplies are
listed at www.caymanislands.ky; also contributing to the relief
effort is a group on Bonaire -- visit www.bonairetalk.com.
"
Grenada. Brenda Hood, minister of tourism, reported
that the water supply is 80% restored in the parish of St. Georges,
75% in the parish of St. Patrick, and between 25% and 30% in the
parishes of St. John, St. David and St. Mark. St. Georges, the
capital, has electricity and some phone service, although there is
no phone service elsewhere on the island. Major roads have been
cleared and are open to traffic; some banks and some shops are
open. Cruise lines have been diverted to other destinations. A
dusk-to-dawn curfew remains in effect for security
purposes.
Point Salines Airport
is open for regional and international flights between 7 a.m. and 5
p.m. BWIA offers flights from New York and Miami via its Trinidad
hub; Air Jamaica resumed all flights via its Montego Bay, Jamaica,
hub and some service from New York (Kennedy); LIAT has four daily
flights into Grenada.
On the hotel front,
Bel Air Plantation will reopen by early November; Calabash Hotel
remains closed until Oct. 30 for its previously scheduled pool
suites remodeling; Flamboyant Hotel will reopen Dec. 20 with 36 of
its 61 rooms, and its one- and two-bedroom units will reopen next
spring; LaSource suffered only minimal roof damage, but is closed
except for emergency personnel; Rex Grenadian is closed until
mid-December.
For more information,
visit www.grenadaemergency.com.
"
Haiti. Tropical storm Jeanne swept more than 700
people to their deaths last week, primarily in the northwestern
coastal city of Gonaives, hardest hit by floodwaters and mudslides.
Port au Prince, the capital, was unaffected by the storm. Relief
efforts have been slowed by waterlogged roads and security
concerns.
"
Jamaica. In Montego Bay, Holiday Inn SunSpree
reopens Oct. 1; in Negril, Beachcomber reopens Nov. 15; Beaches
Negril Beach Resort & Spa, Oct. l; Beaches Sandy Bay, Oct. 28;
Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa, Oct. 15; Mariners Inn, remains
closed; Merrils Beach Resort, Oct 3; Merrils Beach Resort III, Dec.
1; Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa, Nov. 18; Sea Splash,
remains closed; Tensing Pen, remains closed.
In Runaway Bay, FDR
reopens Oct. 9. On the South coast, Jakes, Treasure Beach and
Strawberry Hill are closed until further notice. Fern Hill Club and
Goblin Hill in Port Antonio are closed until further notice. In
Ocho Rios, Sunset Jamaica Grande is closed for scheduled
renovations and will reopen Dec. 19.
The Diving Equipment
& Marketing Association (DEMA), which holds its annual trade
show for companies involved in scuba, action water sports and
adventure/dive travel Oct. 13 to 16 in Houston, launched a relief
fund for exhibitors in areas affected by the storms in the
Caribbean and U.S. For information, visit www.dema.org.
Cruise lines are
getting in on the relief act, too.
Princess Cruises sent
a tender to Grand Cayman with water, food and clothing; NCL Corp.
will donate goods, water and food to the Bahamas, the Cayman
Islands, Grenada and Jamaica and is working with the
Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association to distribute food, water and
items like tarps, flashlights, blankets and batteries.
Royal Caribbean
International and Celebrity Cruises have contributed more than $1.5
million to storm-impacted Caribbean countries, according to Horace
Hord, Jr., regional vice president of government and community
relations for the Eastern Caribbean. Hord said that the funds were
earmarked for the Caribbean Tourism Organization Relief Fund and
for the Caribbean Hotel Association Foundation for children
affected by the hurricanes. An additional $300,000 will be used for
relief supplies.
To contact
reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].