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The storm, which passed close to the main island of Grand Cayman, changed course and hit the smaller island of Cayman Brac as a category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds, ripping roofs from buildings and leaving devastation in its wake. Many roads are still impassable.
Hemant Balgobin, British Red Cross disaster manager for the Cayman Islands, said:
“Paloma has been devastating. Around a third of homes have no roof at all, some are completely destroyed and the majority have some form of structural damage. Some areas are also experiencing flooding as Paloma came in the wake of two weeks heavy rain. The Red Cross is working to distribute essential relief items but as the days go by, it is clear that many more people will need our help.”
Red Cross response
Cayman Brac is part of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory. Cayman Brac lies about 80 miles east of the main island of Grand Cayman and is home to approximately 18,000 residents, many of whom have been forced to leave their homes and are now staying with friends and relatives, or in government shelters. The islands also took a battering from Hurricane Gustav just two months ago.
The Red Cross is working with the Cayman Islands government and the Adventist Disaster Response Agency, to identify the needs of people on the island. Basic relief items such as tarpaulins, hygiene items and buckets have already been distributed. The British Red Cross immediately released £15,000 to support the emergency relief efforts but we desperately need to raise much more.
Funds raised by the British Red Cross Hurricane Appeal are supporting the emergency relief effort for the Cayman Islands, as well as other Caribbean countries, including Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands, which were devastated by Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike.
More about the Hurricane Appeal | 
