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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 2:27 pm
by Steve Wooler
BLUE WATERS INN
I have just received the following notification from Duane Kenny at the Blue Waters Inn and have decided to post it in its entirety. It is so sad that the BWI seems to be the ONLY hotel on the island to have any interuption to service, and that primarily becuase of power failure.
...All guests were evacuated to Grafton Beach Hotel at 6 pm on Monday some time before the hurricane hit (it pays to be a surfer that study's the weather). I chose this hotel due to its choice location, high above the storm surge area, backed by a mountain, and sheltered from the brunt of the storm track. Myself and about 3 managers stayed with the hotel but at around 11 pm after the hurricane was tracked to hit Tobago we evacuated just to be safe.
Damage to the hotel seems minor. Our Jetty sustained major damage and will require a total overhaul. All roofs took some slight damage. One window broken, and one tank cover damaged. We lost some of our lovely large sea almond trees on the beach but I guess the sea view has improved. I also lost the large Bougainvillea bush in front of the staff building. I have to do a more detailed inspection of the rooms but I think we can turn around the hotel by Saturday and be ready for Sunday with the exception of the Jetty. All boats will operate from the beach, which is not a problem.
The real problem is about 45 electrical and phone lines are down and we can't get a definite answer back from TTEC as to when we would get power. The talk is sometime next week. We also have no water on the Main line. We have 50,000 gallons of storage which would last us for quite some time. Phone will be down for a bout a week, although cell sights may be up soon. I will not open the hotel till I have electricity, water and phones. So I will have to keep you posted every so often.
Good luck Duane. Our thoughts are with you.
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 2:35 pm
by Geoff M
Thanks for the update Steve. Glad to hear that all at BWI are ok, and that the damage is not too bad.
We are supposed to be going out on Saturday, but if the power, water etc is going to take some time, and Duane states he'll not open until services are resumed, I am in a bit of a quandry.
Better check with our agents I guess.
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 2:40 pm
by Steve Wooler
Hi Geoff
Yes, the first thing you must do is to contact your agent. However, do not worry about it. There's tons of availability on the island at this time of year, so you will be able to stay most anyplace you like, then move over the BWI as soon as power and water are restored.
The same applies to you David - you'll have absolutely no problem finding accommodation and nothing I've heard has given me any reservation about encouraging people to continue with all plans.
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 2:50 pm
by Geoff M
Hi Steve
Just spoken to our agent, who has been rather busy today as he has clients in Grenada. Fortunately he has tracked them down and they are fine.
He has also been trying to contact BWI, and has heard nothing so your post was news. Looks like we may indeed have to get alternate accommodation until BWI is up and running again.
Ivan go home
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 6:00 pm
by Chris Raffael
http://weather.yahoo.com/images/carib_w ... _mdy_y.jpg
While Frances continues to make flooding and clean-up headlines, much of the attention is now on Ivan. Hurricane Ivan is a powerful and deadly Category-FIVE hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. After ravaging Barbados and Grenada, Ivan skirted Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao to the north, with its eyes set on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Beyond that, there remains a tremendous amount of uncertainty on the projected path. Latest reconnaissance information continues to show the hurricane strengthening and moving in a west-northwesterly direction. Keep it tuned to The Weather Channel for the latest.
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 8:17 pm
by Paul Tallet
Hi Chris
The focus has switched to Ivan because the press are reporting the Grenada devastation as if it happened this morning.
Some comedian on BBC Weather reported today that the bad weather expected on Sunday and Monday in the UK is the 'old Frances' when Frances is in fact somewhere over Lake Ontario.
Not yet any reports of the devastion to Union, Palm, Mayreau etc (i.e.; Grenadines) but I can say that no lives have been lost there ... apparently Palm Island is now just a sand spit with what used to be a hotel on it.
Another reason is Jamaica ... a very well known popular holiday destination coupled with the fact that it has a large population and often features in the news for good reasons and bad.
I see that the travel agencies are scrambling planes to take tourists away from Jamaica.
I have also read the The Cayman Islands are turning tourists away.
The final reason is that Ivan is now a category 5 hurricane, the baddest of the bad ... and it certainly seems to be threatening to beat some old Cat 5 record breakers such as Mitch, Andrew and Felix.
All Ivan needs to do now is hit Florida ... the press will be all over it, documentaries will be made, people will name their baby boys after it and Ivan's name will etched in our memories forever.
I do hope that the victims of Ivan in Tobago and Grenada will also be remembered ... if it wasn't for their ordeal I wonder if the threat of Ivan would now be being taken so seriously.
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 8:27 pm
by Paul Tallet
I seem to be able to know about everything else that is going on but ... Any news of Castara?
I am not going there until next year ... but ... I just want to know because it is one of my homes and I hope all my friends there are OK.
I have also not heard from Ancle at the Naturalist who I keep in touch with throughout each year.
If you are there Brian/Steph, please send Ancle regards from 'Paul and the other worried Tallets' and please let me know how he and Jodie, Isabelle, Mary-Ann and the rest of the team are doing.
Thanks in advance
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 9:08 pm
by Paul Tallet
Poor Caymans ...
The Caymans are next in the queue after Jamaica ... but spare a thought for this:-
An Earthquake measuring 6.1 on the richter scales has been reported just south of Cayman ... obviously this will generate some nice surf/tsunami that would really mix well with the broth being mixed up by Ivan.
Has Mother Nature has a 'sense of humour failure' ???
The only good news is that Ivan has just decreased wind speed ... temporarily I suppose.
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:01 pm
by Steve Wooler
Hi Paul
Lots of food for thought in your comments.
The last we heard from Brian/Steph was just after mid-day on Wednesday (post in this thread). They said there was no problem, but a few trees were down, the road blocked and no power. He was running on the last dregs of battery power.
I emailed Ancle yesterday but have had no reply. I suspect the lines are down.
The owners of Castara Retreats tell me that they've managed to contact Porridge who looks after their property. No damage. In fact the village appears to have got away without problem - except for power lines being down. As a result, contact by email will be out of the question. So, I think everyone there is well and safe, just out of contact.
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 11:12 pm
by Paul Tallet
Thank you Steve ... appreciated.
No doubt I will hear from all my friends in due course.
Hurricane
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 4:17 am
by Roger D.
I've been reading the news reports from Grenada, and boy oh boy, they've really been hit and hit hard. The Prime Minister of Grenada was supposed to give a news conference today on board the HMS Richmond in St. George's and became so distraught that he cancelled the News Conference, he said that his people would not be able to hear him anyway.
Officers from the Royal Navy have been stationed around the capital to restore law and order, they've given all of their medical supplies to the hospital in Grenada and the expatriate community here in the New York area have been mobilizing relief efforts to help Grenada. However Jamaica is next and Ivan could be a cat 5 hurricane, May god help them.
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:30 am
by John Hill
Lots of pictures from Grenada I was there May this year, Steve hope you do not mind me posting this link it shows how lucky Tobago was.
http://grenadatravelforum.com/
damage pictures at top of page[/url]
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:39 am
by Steve Wooler
I've had a lot more correspondence come in over night. It seems perfectly clear that it is now "business as usual" on the island. We still have no word from Charlotteville, but other than that there are NO reports of serious damage.
The most amusing report came from Charlie Johnson of the Polo Bar at Buccoo. In true British spirit they stayed open throughout, cooking by gas, eating by candlelight and drinking by feel (I assume). He says ...
Guests and I had planned to have lunch on the sundeck to show how the Brits coped with a hurricane, but sadly both our cameras got so full of water that we could not take photos and, far more seriously, the wind was so strong that it was blowing our drinks out of the glasses, so retired below.
Anybody who has met Charlie will know that this is not just hyperbole.
On a more serious note, my thanks to Patrick Kreutzer, the GM of the Hilton, who has sent me a wonderfully detailed report of things, plus some photos. The plastic canopy at the front of the hotel blew off, but other than that it is just damage to landscaping. The hotel and golf course are fully operational, but certain paths along the beachfront are closed off for safety while workmen clear the debris and generally check things out. This will all have been completed and everything will be back to normal by the end of the weekend.
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:09 am
by Geoff M
Hi Steve
The Dunkirk spirit in action !
Don't suppose you've heard anything more from BWI?
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 11:42 am
by Steve Wooler
Hi Geoff
You can take it as read that I will post any significant information I receive in this thread.
Hi
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 2:44 pm
by Ellie G
Well I never expected all this terrible news when I made my post. I have been to Grenada a couple of times and it is a beautiful island full of lovely people - life can be so cruel. My thoughts and prayers are with them.
Just as an aside - my travel agent stated that I would have to pay an admin charge to change the destination of my holiday - can you believe that - you can imagine my response!!!!
Ellie[/b]
Voyage into the unknown...
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 3:23 pm
by Geoff M
Thats me packed and heading down to Gatwick, for the early flight tomorrow. Still no idea where we'll be staying, as no idea if BWI will be open or not. I guess we'll have to wing it!
Bye to all
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 3:26 pm
by Steve Wooler
Hi Geoff
I've had an email from Duane Kenny within the last few minutes, responding to my request for info on Charlotteville. He says it looks like power and telephones will be out until sometime next week.
Have a great trip. Think of the stories you'll have to tell.
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:37 pm
by Paul Tallet
The hurricane force winds of Ivan are just starting to affect the east side of Jamaica now.
I am sure all readers of this thread will be seeing in depth news coverage of the Jamaica hit ... this is obviously very good for Jamaica and good for any relatives of Jamaicans around the world.
I doubt if I would need to help many form their opinions about the press coverage of Tobago, Grenada and The Grenadines.
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:39 pm
by Steve Wooler
Here, hear, Paul!
