Published 21st May, 6:49pm

All government primary and secondary schools in Grand Cayman will be closed tomorrow, 22 May, due to severe flooding, except for a small number of high schools students who will be sitting their CXC History examination.

Students sitting the CXC History exam from CHHS and John Gray are to report to the John Gray High School Hall tomorrow as planned.

Cayman Brac schools will remain open.

Message from the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the National Hazard Management Council, Mr. Donovan Ebanks

International Day for Disaster Reduction is celebrated each year on the 13th October. This year, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat has announced that the theme is: “Making Youth Partners for Disaster Risk Reduction”, with the slogan “Step up for Disaster Risk Reduction’. This is a basic call for action to all children and young people to step up to the challenge and get involved in the disaster risk reduction effort.

The annual pre-hurricane season training prepares volunteers to qualify as shelter-management team members - and, if enlisted, they will work alongside designated officials in their respective districts in Grand Cayman.

Early in the training session, Shelter Operations Subcommittee Chairperson Deanna Look Loy made clear the purpose of providing shelter during a disaster.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Kiran Kumar said the patient, a student at First Baptist School, is recovering well in home isolation and did not suffer severe illness. School officials are currently contacting parents, and health officials will soon be meeting with them.

The patient came to Health Services Authority's Accident and Emergency for testing on 29 May after falling sick upon returning from a trip to New York. Local testing was positive for Influenza A and

The donation was made in response to the appeal to assist Cayman Brac residents, who suffered damage to, or loss of, their homes during Hurricane Paloma.

Governor Jack, who personally has visited Cayman Brac and witnessed the devastation, said: "I am very pleased today to be able to contribute this significant donation to the CINRF efforts to help people on Cayman Brac affected by Hurricane Paloma."

Although the store at Village Square has plenty of canned goods and bottled water, reduced opening hours and limited banking (no electricity) makes it harder to obtain necessities, explained Nurse Cutts.

However, three ADRA personnel did arrive Tuesday bringing some 787 lbs of food and water for local distribution.

At times, different words associated with hazard management can be used interchangeably or perhaps be misunderstood, so two key post-disaster terms are clarified below. They are particularly important since both can overlap:

Relief: Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) Director Dr Barbara Carby notes that relief refers to initial efforts to take care of affected areas. "The emphasis is on restoring

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

Tortola, BVI, November 13, 2008 (DDM) - Hurricane Paloma, the 16th named storm and the 8th hurricane for 2008, left the islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman with widespread damage as it passed on Saturday November 8th as a Category 3 hurricane. Ninety to 95 percent of homes, businesses, churches, and public buildings were damaged, some beyond repair. Recovery efforts commenced shortly after the passage of the storm to distribute relief supplies and restore electricity and water to the islands.

The Government of the Cayman Islands