Thousands Evacuate Cayman Islands As Hurricane Dean Nears

Thousands Evacuate Cayman Islands As Hurricane Dean Nears
August 20, 2007 9:51 a.m. EST


Preciosa Dumlao - AHN Writer
George Town, Cayman Islands (AHN) - Tourists are fleeing the Cayman Islands for fear of Hurricane Dean on Monday. The hurricane has already brought destruction to the Caribbean killing eight people.

The government said the hurricane will pass to the south of the Cayman islands but is still believed to be threat to the island nation and is the main reason why vacationers have been warned to leave the Island as soon as possible.

Governor Stuart Jack said hundreds of vacationers were making last minute arrangements for flights home to prevent being stranded. Some of them even slept on the airport floor to ensure that no missed opportunity would slip by.

He said only 1,500 tourists remain in the island.

According to George Mitchell, a Detroit resident who missed his flight back to the U.S. said, "It's kind of spooky. We don't know what to do or where to go. It freaks you out."

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Dean was about 115 miles southeast of Grand Cayman as of 5:00a.m. EDT Monday and was traveling at about 21mph.


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