Yamfoot found herself flying back to Jamaica from Grenada on Saturday, just in time to help her family with their preparations (she also managed to make a quck trip to the hairdresser, because “who knows what Monday will be like”).

A friend called me from Grenada tonight. He asked me if I was crazy to have left Grenada to come here, knowing Big Dean was approaching. He wasn't the only one…. They don't understand the concept that for me, it's better to be with my family, knowing what is happening with them, than me being safe far away.

At noon on Saturday, Moving Back to Jamaica reported, the Kingston sky was cloudless and blue: “perfect beach weather”. But:

Flights are filled with people escaping what winds, rains and destruction that is heading this way.

We are fully expecting to lose power, internet, phones and water and that roads will be closed until they are cleared of debris, and until the inevitable looting stops.

By Sunday morning, as Dean closed in on the island, Moving Back wrote that a 48-hour curfew was in effect in Kingston, and he expected to lose power shortly, as the authorities planned to shut down the national power grid as a precautionary measure. “So you might not be hearing from this part of the world in a few minutes, for what could be a while.” Not all bloggers were able to ride out the hurricane at home. Stunner's Afflictions was “forcibly drafted” into his employer's “hurricane team”.

I guess some of us have to make sure vital services like communication remains up during such a critical time. I would rather not be at work and at home to somehow protect my property… or at least feel like I am… somehow!

And USAID officer Robert Birkenes stayed at his office in New Kingston. He posted a series of photos taken from his office window, showing palm trees being tossed by the hurricane winds, signs ripped from buildings and flying through the air, and a foolhardy man standing out in the street in the middle of the storm.

Meanwhile, over in the Cayman Islands (north-west of Jamaica, and the next inhabited territory in Dean's path), Jamaican Mad Bull described his own preparations — “I think we are looking pretty good, all things considered” — and announced that he'd managed to fly his young son off the island in the nick of time.

Suppose you see people at the airport! It was mad, it was sick! And then all the flights were delayed for hours, and check in took FOREVER!

In the end, both Jamaica and the Caymans were spared a direct hit, as Dean skirted south of both countries, and damage, though significant, was not as severe as most had feared. “Bye Bye Dean”, Stunner's Afflictions cheerfully said this morning, reporting that his neighbourhood in Kingston still had running water in the mains. Bonita Jamaica posted a Flickr set showing fallen trees and blown-off roofs in some areas of the city. Charlene Collins posted images of a downed lightpole on Constant Spring Road, Kingston residents cleaning up debris, and the giant cargo cranes at the port of Kingston “still standing”. Don Giovanni's Dean Flickr set incuded dramatic images of a zinc roof wrapped around a lightpole in Meadowbrook and a small landslide in a residential neighbourhood in the hills. And from Grand Cayman, DocJelly uploaded post-hurricane images that showed grey skies and stormy seas, but little obvious damage.

But the worst of Dean may be yet to come. By the time it makes landfall on the coast of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo tomorrow, the hurricane is forecast to have picked up enough strength to be classified as category five.

Steve's Dominica reports:

“Dean will be passing over us around 6am on Friday. We'll start to feel the winds from midnight tonight…”

Steve manages to venture out, however and posts a photo of how the storm is shaping up, adding:

“You could see people were taking Hurricane Dean seriously, boarding up windows. Up at the top of the hill, the gusts of wind hinted at what is to come.”

As the storm moves closer, Living Dominica says:

“I know that I am going to have to sit through hours of howling hurricane winds tomorrow, and the thought brings tears to my eyes. I feel like a small child abandoned and unprotected at the thought of this storm.”

Cheese-on-Bread, blogging from Barbados, takes a more practical approach and posts some helpful hurricane preparation tips, urging everyone to “stay safe”:

“The weather has definitely changed from the sunny skies we had earlier today…”

Living in Barbados offers some useful information on the storm's projected path and estimated wind speed, as well as how Bajans are preparing for the possible hit:

“At home, all of our shutters are down and windows closed, movable objects are indoors, and we hope that neighbours have done something similar. The airport closes at 9pm tonight and should reopen at 9am tomorrow; flights by the US airlines had already been cancelled from earlier in the day. Lots of business closed in mid-afternoon and road works were suspended and warning signs removed, in case they became missiles in the expected high winds. Reports indicated that people were rushing to hardware and grocery stores to stock up on essential provisions. Category 1 shelters were advised to open.”

My Barbados Blog posts a comprehensive list of the varying storm watch levels in the different islands, while Notes from the Margin writes:

“Join me in saying a prayer tonight for our friends in St. Lucia, Martinique and Dominica who are really looking down the business end of this storm.”

As expected, the weather was fairly subdued on Barbados this morning, according to Pull! Push!. His most recent update says:

“It's just after 7:30 in the morning. The skies are still overcast, it's raining and strong breezes and sudden gusts of wind, are both putting in an appearance. I have heard that the ALL CLEAR has been given.”

Mighty Afroditee, who has lived through the havoc Hurricane Ivan wreaked on the Cayman Islands, blogs about the whims of Mother Nature and hard lessons learned:

“An air of expectation hangs over the island, as worry furrows the brows of those bent on preparation. Ivan (the “Rat Bastard”) has left his mark. Madame decided to humble me with the threat of Dean. She has dispatched another one of her Enforcers to remind me of her far reaching capabilities, especially since my kind have abused and neglected her in so many ways. She is now bent on vengeance.

Yet, as I track each breath of movement from this probable usurper…I know that I am not alone. Dean and his whereabouts dominate the topic of all conversation, as we all get ourselves into a state of preparedness. Supermarkets are packed; cars are moved to higher ground; information is being disseminated like wildfire; plywood and shutters are being off loaded and inspected at individual residences…and it all gives me a strange sense of detached pride for my island and its peoples. Ivan was a hard lesson learned but, we learned our lesson. No one wants to be caught off guard again.”

And Pwoje Espwa, blogging from Haiti, says:

“If Hurricane Dean keeps coming as predicted we will be in a heck of a lot of trouble. We are doing what we can to get ready. Saturday and Sunday look to be miserable days. Keep us in your prayers, please.”

Belize-y-Livin' has a bit more time to prepare, but it does not do much to allay her fears:

“Dean is supposed to pick up force and hit here as a category 4 hurricane on Tuesday morning, which means there is plenty of time to change path, as it often does. Yet I am still nervous. Some people say this is going to be the worst hurricane documented in Belize while others claim it will change course. I'm not sure what to think.”

West Indies Cricket Blog wants Dean to go home, while both Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground have turned down requests from international media to be interviewed about how their fellow islanders have been preparing for Dean's arrival:

“Message For CNN’s Mark Garrison…

Mark, we’d love to give you a live on the air blogger’s broadcast from Barbados Free Press as you asked, but unfortunately that would be the end of my real job, my wife’s job and the bank would probably call the mortgage too. You see, Barbados Free Press is a blog dedicated to exposing corruption in our government and we have to remain anonymous or our families will be made to pay.”

Living in Barbados acknowledges the reasons for the two blogs declining CNN's request, saying:

“It will be interesting to see how the North America news develops its view of a ‘crisis' on the island…Hurricane seasons comes around every year, but each time it's a different roller coaster ride.”