More than 200 Public Works Department (PWD) and National Roads Authority (NRA) staff fanned out around Grand Cayman on Wednesday, 3 May 2017, during the 30th annual hurricane-shuttering exercise.

The workers met at PWD in the morning, before heading out in teams to shutter more than 100 Government buildings, including 17 hurricane shelters.

Their work at these sites entailed testing hurricane readiness; including erecting shutters, testing standby generators, checking water supplies and general maintenance readiness of shelters and government buildings.

Six hours is the long-established standard for this exercise to be completed; and this week’s tests were finished within 5 hours and 50 minutes.

PWD Director Max Jones spoke to staff at the PWD compound early morning before they dispersed. Emphasising the importance of this critical exercise, he thanked them for their commitment to hurricane preparedness and urged them to exercise safety.

Officials on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman will also conduct similar readiness exercises.  The first such shuttering exercise was held in 1988, just months before Hurricane Gilbert impacted these Islands.

IMAGES: GIS