CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – According to the Nevis Tourism Authority, as of 11 a.m. Thursday morning, Hurricane Omar is moving rapidly away from the Northern Leeward Islands and all Hurricane warnings and watches have been discontinued.
For most of the island, adverse effects on private property, government and tourism establishments are limited to minor landscaping and small flying debris issues. There are no reports of injuries or fatalities.
All residents and visitors are accounted for and efforts to keep everyone safe and out of harm’s way appear to have been successful. Power and phone service has been restored to the island and the Vance W. Amory Airport has re-opened for commercial flights. However, we urge all visitors to contact their airline carrier and preferred hotel to confirm their flights and accommodations.
Uncharacteristically, Hurricane Omar approached Nevis from the west, which resulted in impact to the Leeward side of the island including the capital city of Charlestown and Gallows Bay, the businesses, tourism establishments and residential areas along Pinney’s Beach, Tamarind Bay, Oualie Bay and the Main Highway running north toward the airport.
While the wind and rain from this storm reached category two on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, the majority of damage resulted from the storm surge and some damage has been reported to the beaches and businesses along the Western coast of the island. There are reports of two commercial vessels running aground, but no serious damage to the ships or the marine life eco-system.
Some damage has been reported at the prestigious Four Seasons Resort Nevis. The Resort management is assessing the damage to the property and will provide an update tomorrow at midday. The Resort is currently closed with a tentative re-opening date of November 1. For more information on Four Seasons Resort Nevis, please call the Resort’s New York Sales Office at (212) 935-4955.
Elsewhere on the island, the tourism infrastructure on Nevis is intact with no other resorts, restaurants or structures suffering significant damage. Many of our hotel and restaurant partners are already open for business or expect to open this weekend. The NTA has received reports from most of the small hotels, guest houses and plantation inns on the island and overall, damage appears to be minimal.
Clean-up efforts are underway, all main highways have been opened and the Nevis Island Administration anticipates a return to normalcy as soon as possible under the circumstances.
The Nevis Tourism Authority continues to work closely with the Nevis Island Administration and its Disaster Management Office and will issue a complete assessment of Hurricane Omar’s impact in the coming days.
Additional travel and tourist questions should be directed to your specific airline, host hotel or the Nevis Tourism Authority at 1-869-469-7550 or toll-free at 1-888-55-Nevis.
