<p>GRAND TURK, Turks and Caicos Islands (AP) -- The tourism industry, crucial to the Caribbean island of Grand Turk, was out of commission Monday and likely to remain that way for weeks or even months.</p><p><br />Hurricane Ike destroyed homes, scattered power lines, uprooted trees and tossed cars and small trucks around like toys on the low-lying island. Nearly every building, including the airport control tower and pastel-colored colonial buildings, sustained some damage in the Category 4 hurricane.<br />&quot;I've been living in the Caribbean for 25 years and I've never seen this kind of destruction,&quot; said Giora Israel, senior vice president of strategic planning for Carnival Corp., which owns the island's cruise ship pier and terminal.</p><p>Rain and wind caused an estimated $5 million to $10 million in damage to the terminal and its grounds -- ripping out some 500 palm trees planted just six months ago, Israel said. The pier itself, built to withstand a Category 5 storm, was unscathed.</p><p>Michael Sheehan, spokesman for Royal Caribbean Ltd., which doesn't not sail to Grand Turk, said about six of its ships have been redirected because of Hurricane Ike.</p><p>Grand Turk is the capital of the island chain and many people there work for the government. There are a half-dozen hotels but the cruise ship industry, both directly and indirectly, is the largest private sector employer.</p><p>The situation was better elsewhere in the chain. There was no major damage to the hotels and resorts of Providenciales, which receives the most visitors in the chain, and the airport was expected to reopen Monday afternoon. There also were no reports of major damage on Parrot Cay, where celebrities such as Bruce Willis own homes.</p><p>&quot;The tourism sector is open for business,&quot; Premier Michael Misick said of Providenciales, where most hotels were built within the last 20 years. &quot;It speaks to the level of quality of construction here that we can withstand a Category 4 storm without any major damage.&quot;</p>