Hurricane mop-up underway

Caribbean resorts were mopping up and starting repairs last week after Hurricanes Frances and Ivan delivered a one-two punch to the region. Here was the situation for tourist facilities, according to government and wire reports, as of the Travel section’s deadline Tuesday:

* North America: Ivan was expected to make landfall along the Gulf of Mexico, and communities from Mexico to Florida were on hurricane alert.

* The Bahamas: Several hotels were damaged on Grand Bahama Island, the island hardest hit. According to the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Freeport’s Best Western Castaway Resort was operating fully; the Sheraton at Our Lucaya was expected to reopen Oct. 1; and the Westin at Our Lucaya on Nov. 1. Damage assessments were pending at several other resorts. Nassau’s airport and port were open; Freeport’s airport was closed to international flights.

* Cayman Islands: Extensive damage, including flooding, closed roads and disrupted electricity. George Town, the capital, was without power; its Owen Roberts airport was operating on a limited basis. Many hotels were damaged. There was a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

* Cuba: The hurricane brushed the island’s sparsely populated western end, causing floods but no deaths. Havana and major tourist areas were spared.

* Grenada: The island was devastated by Ivan. Among many tourist facilities suffering severe damage was the 66-room Spice Island Beach Resort, which reported losing 90% of its roofs. It is expected to remain closed for a year.

* Jamaica: Resort towns along the northern coast, including Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, “suffered mainly cosmetic damage” from Ivan, said Paul Pennicook, Jamaica’s director of tourism. The airports in Montego Bay and Kingston were open. Damage reports from Jamaica’s south coast, which took the brunt of the hurricane, were unavailable.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization posted a 2004 hurricane information link on its website for updates, www.one caribbean.org.