Merida Hurricane Update: Dawn Tuesday
We woke to some gusts of wind and a light rain. The clouds in the sky are still moving quickly, but the winds are mild so far. When we woke up the rain was just sprinkling... now it's a steady rain that is more than we want to walk around in, so the dogs have gone back to sleep.
We've been watching BBC and CNN broadcasting from Cancun and Puerto Aventuras. The local standup guy in Puerto Aventuras was making as much as he could out of the conditions, but they looked pretty ho-hum to us... no more than a normal tropical storm with 15-foot waves, he claims. Looked more like 5 feet to us (but we're from California, where they have real waves). We're sure things are different down in Chetumal, but for some reason they chose not to go all the way down there. Hmmm...
Once it gets lighter out, maybe we'll drive around and see if there's anything worth taking a photo to show everyone.
Comments
Working Gringos 17 years ago
We've just returned from a driving tour around Merida and up to Progreso and the Gulf Coast. There was very little rain this morning and no flooding anywhere. We saw only a couple downed trees and signs from occasional strong winds up to about 40 MPH. Almost everything except Oxxo, 7-Eleven, McDonalds, Pemex and some grocery stores are closed, but will re-open tomorrow. The police, national guard and CFE were out in force, but there was very little for them to do. We did not lose any basic services. More details to come...
Tom, there was no tidal surge at the Gulf and the waves were only a couple of feet high. We saw children swimming in the water and couples strolling along the beach, despite the strong winds.
Krita, you should have no trouble with your lodging in Merida or Chichen Itza, once you arrive. Our main concern is for the areas of Mahajual and Xcalak on the southern Caribbean coast, where we've heard there has been quite a bit of destruction of these recently developed towns. Of course, the humble Maya villages just inland and along the storm's path can now use all the assistance they can get, so we think a "village restoration vacation" is a great idea.
Reply
Krita 17 years ago
thanks to all for the TONS of info we've gathered here as well as Dean Updates. We have a vacation planned to stay at the Luz en Yucatan this Saturday night. We also plan(ned) to stay two nights at Chichen Itza, then 5 nights in Akumal... We were going to use the public buses to transport from one location to the next. Can you offer info on those main roads that would get us between the three? Of course, we're axiously awaiting word from each of our accomodations as to whether or not we can still stay there (especially Akumal--I read it's closed for 7 days for glass clean-up). But we're absolutely coming (as long as Delta will fly us in--but by Saturday I'm sure they will), and if necessary, we'll just turn our Mayan Culture Educational Vacation into a Mayan Jungle Village Restoration Vacation and volunteer to help clean up! :-)
Reply
Tray 17 years ago
Thank you for your updates. It looks as if Merida dodged a very close bullet. I look forward to your next update on weather conditions, and whether or not you get any flooding. Your website is invaluable!
Reply
Khaki 17 years ago
There are more than a few of us who either lost homes to Katrina and Rita (and still owe the mortgage), or had them severely damaged and have yet to be able to make repairs. Having lived in both the Gulf South and Yucatan, we now know the difference between “real†Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery versus a government that is Hell-bent on allowing its own citizens to die in storms and that deliberately blocks recovery efforts so that big tourism interests can buy and develop the coast for pennies on the dollar. If Americans only knew how far ahead of them Yucatan – and all of Mexico - is on this issue, heads would roll (literally) in Washington – as well they should!!!
Reply
Ray 17 years ago
Have to agree with the quality of news reporting from CNN and others. Totally driven by ratings versus facts (such as one comment early this morning in which the health care in Merida was questioned). More sensationalism than reporting.
Your information has been first rate as always so a big thank you.
Reply
Tom V 17 years ago
Thanks for the updates, WG's! Any word on the tides at the beach?
Reply
Ron Atkinson 17 years ago
I am grateful for the information I receive from this site. Perhaps I am naive to think that the information is reliable for I have no way to verify from Vancouver but, having spent some considerable time in the Yucatan my trust is with the authors.
While watching from afar as well as having freinds on the ground in Tulum and the Sian Kaan, the information I am receiving is of the sensationalistic type from the news sources and due to safety concerns just hearsay from my associates. For the time being and until my people can get some hard facts to relay to me this is my only reliable source for a balanced perspective.
Regarding the situation in Punta Allen.
Trust me when I say that although I am a Canadian my love of the area south of Tulum is real, my compassion for the people is real. The people of Punta Allen and my neighbors in the Kaan are constantly on my mind.
I will wait until I hear from them before I rest.
Take care,
Ron
Reply
Working Gringos 17 years ago
At times like these, it's also important to have some perspective, which we seldom see from the mainstream media. The good news is that hurricane Dean made landfall at one of the least populated areas of the Caribbean coast, the Sian Ka'an Preserve. It almost immediately collapsed to a Category 3 hurricane, bringing less storm surge and rain than forecast. The level of preparedness and the efficiency of the evacuations from the coast were the best ever. And unlike Wilma, the storm is moving fast, so any damage will be relatively less.
But you won't see much of this kind of news on television, because the news media reads from a disaster movie script that is calculated to advance careers, boost ratings and sell commercials. Unfortunately, their pitch can scare people who have family, homes and businesses here and feel powerless to do anything to help.
The original storm track for hurricane Dean included direct hits to Cancun, the Gulf Coast and Merida. At this moment, it is passing us about 130 miles directly to the south - its closest point of contact - and the worst we have seen is mild gusts and light rain. We dodged a rather large and frightening bullet, for which we (and undoubtedly many of our readers) are justifiably relieved.
The folks who live along the southern Caribbean coast who took the worst of Dean have their work cut out for them, but they are safe and will probably receive more government assistance per capita than the victims of hurricane Katrina and will not be permanently displaced. To their credit, they know what to do and how to rebuild. We have watched them rebound after several hurricanes just since we've moved here.
Oh, and for Yucatan, the season has just begun. September and October are usually the hardest months, so let's be grateful for what we have while we have it.
Como siempre, la lucha sigue...
Reply
John 17 years ago
to "have some compassion"
I hope that your family in punta allen and their property is safe and unharmed
Reply
Benita 17 years ago
I think the Working Gringos have lots of compassion.If you read anything on their site you will know this. They are also respectful of the people and culture. I think what we are getting from them is a realistic view of what the conditions are. Surely you have experienced the hype and sensationalization that the media likes portray. It makes for a more exciting story and often has nothing to do with reality. I personally appreciate having their perspective on the situation.
I am from Canada and have friends in Merida and property both in Merida and on the beach. I have been watching reports on Dean for days now and am most concerned for the welfare of all the people and communities involved with the hurricane. Reading the reports from the Working Gringos lets me know what the situation really is. I respect their views. They have plenty of compassion.
Reply
Grant 17 years ago
I appreciate the update...and the humor. Thanks, WGs, for being on top of things, as usual.
Reply
« Back (20 to 31 comments)Next »