Curacao back to business after Omar passes the island
|
| Published on Saturday, October 18, 2008 |
Email To Friend Print Version |
WILLEMSTAD, Curacao: Omar, the 15th tropical storm of the Atlantic season, had a minimum impact on the Netherlands Antilles island of Curacao on Thursday. On the island, just off the coastline of South America, damage was limited to the islands beaches and beach infrastructure.
Local authorities say cleanup and restoration is rapidly taking place and Curacao’s beautiful beaches will be available to visitors very shortly. They emphasize that other than beach erosion there has been no major damage to the tourism plant and the overall infrastructure of the island.
“Tropical storms are very rare on Curacao,” noted Eugene Rhuggenaath, Commissioner of Economic Affairs and Tourism, Curacao. “This storm was out of the ordinary and we expect our beautiful beaches and temperate weather to return to normal almost immediately.” Curacao’s residents were not impacted by the storm. Businesses - temporarily closed - while government offices and services were available to citizens and tourists for any emergency requests or needs, are now open and up and running.
Curacao’s thriving diving industry is also back to normal. Local dive experts say while some reef formations were covered by sand they will naturally recover in approximately two weeks. However, there was no actual damage to the island’s reefs and they will continue to grow in a healthy manner.
In fact, since the storm, divers have witnessed an impressive Coral Spawning event and even more fish now populate the coast line.
“The island has already rebounded from tropical storm Omar,” says Rhuggenaath. “We are moving forward at a brisk pace.” | | | | Reads : 673 |
|
