It is 10pm, my house is all boarded up. About 8 houses of the 20 in our street are occupied, everyone else has either got on a plane, bus or driven as far away as they can. I have decided to stay put. As I drove through Cancun’s hotel zone this afternoon I saw plenty of people, but very few tourists – loads of them have managed to get away. Most of the population is tranquil; several are boarding up their homes, shops and businesses.
I was in Cancun nearly two years ago when Wilma decided to stay put for 60 hours, making Cancun the spot where the American continent’s most powerful hurricane in recorded history tore down thousands of trees, ripped hedges, destroyed scores of buildings, erased hundreds of acres of lawn, and even rubbed out the road markings that divide up the lanes. Half of the mangrove swamps have not recovered yet.
This time everyone is much more prepared. Authorities have been quick off the ground. It is now about 26 hours before the storm hits the Mexican Caribbean coast – I heard on the radio this morning that a major hurricane has never hit this part of Mexico in August. The navy is in charge of the hotel zone, the army is responsible for the center of town and non-hotel zone urban areas, while the police have been given the task of looking after all the shops. Looting can be a serious problem when the fabric of society temporarily vanishes.
Throughout the day one could see workmen climbing up traffic light posts, bringing the lights down and placing them in trucks. I had to manage crossroads, etc. without traffic lights. I was surprised to see that the Mexican drives extremely well when there are no lights – perhaps, when the storm is over authorities might consider not putting them back.
We all listen to the hourly bulletins on the radio, check updates on the internet, and cherish the next few hours of peace. Everyone is exceptionally kind to each other. We are all humbled, courteous, respectful and patient – a wonderful side of the human race is evident. I find this website is very useful and check it every couple of hours www.nhc.noaa.gov.
The latest estimate is that the eye of the storm will hit between Tulum and Chetumal on the Mexican coast – this is about 120 miles south of Cancun. It is too early to tell yet, as it has been a slightly erratic storm. We are told that within a few hours it will be possible to start pinning down the exact stretch of coast it batters with more accuracy. The whole state of Quintana Roo is on Orange alert, this will gradually upgrade until a Red Alert is announced.
People are not talking about much else here. We all try to stay positive and say things like “Unlike earthquakes you get plenty of warning. Earthquakes kill more people. During Wilma only 6 people died in Cancun.”
When nature unleashes its energy relentlessly we are humbled and realize just how feeble we are.
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
(Medical News Today has offices in Cancun, Mexico)