Caymans, Jamaica, Martinique, and St. Lucia narrowly dodge Hurricane Dean

A summary of hurricane news from around the Caribbean:

Hurricane Dean is one of the most dangerous storms in the history of the Caribbean.  Dean's 150 MPH winds could have wiped out much of the travel and tourism spots from the eastern Caribbean west to Mexico, not to mention caused deaths to the Caribbean's citizens.

But thankfully, Dean's path  kept it away from the most populous and traveled islands of the Caribbean.  The track fell in a most advantageous direction; Jamaica probably suffered the most damage of the Caribbean islands, but was feeling  'thankful'.  Jamaica's resorts are generally on the north side of Jamaica, buffered by the island as hurricane Dean passed to the south.

In St. Lucia, a roof was torn off a hospital as Dean tore through the St. Lucia Channel.  

And Martinique suffered 70 MPH winds as Dean came ashore for the very first time.  The worst damage seems to be to Martinique's banana industry, caused by flooding.    The Martinique government is estimating $337 million in damages.

At one point, Dean looked to hit the Caymans dead on,  but turned south in time to spare Grand Cayman. Reports are not in from Cayman Brac or Little Cayman, but because they sit north of Grand Cayman, we assume that they made it OK as well. 

Mexico is a different story. Dean battered Mexico not once, but twice.  Hitting the Yucatan, then crossing the Gulf of Mexico into mainland Mexico where as many as 13 people were reported killed.   Mexico's Costa Maya, which is south of Cancun was hit with 165 MPH winds. The Costa Maya is a developing Caribbean destination and might have been delivered a series setback.

CTN will update the post hurricane dean reports as we receive them.