After the Storms
Having lived 28 years in South Carolina, first on the Isle of Palms and then in Mount Pleasant - just over the connector about 5 miles from the sea - we learned a thing or two about hurricanes. Actually, we lived in West Palm Beach when Andrew visited Florida and saw the aftermath of that destruction. We are quite adept at preparing for a tropical storm or hurricane. What is different here is the lack of hype leading up to these storms. In Charleston, they start to predict the chances of another Hugo the minute a depression leaves the coast of Africa. They track the storm and give an update every chance they get. The closer a storm comes to S.C. the more frequent the updates until they are literally every 20 minutes or more.
Here in the Riviera Maya there is no such reporting. We can check in on the Weather Channel, but chances are very high we won’t be seeing Jim Cantore heading here, and the reports are always focused on where the storms are going to hit in the USA. People have learned to rely on their weather apps and forecasts from a number of hurricane tracking sites, which are mainly geared towards serious weather people. These sites are extremely scientific in their approach.
The Caribbean Coast is naturally designed to withstand tropical storms and hurricanes. It is a karst terrain, which is porous limestone, with a vast underground river system. The coast is made up of sandy beaches, rocky limestone points and mangroves. Or at least that is how nature designed it. Since 1973, when the area was designated a tourist destination, many thickets of mangrove have been replaced with buildings, swimming pools and parking lots. The growth here has been staggering, often placing it among the fastest growing areas in the world. Environmentally, human population growth has taken its toll on the area. with the effects being most apparent during and after large storms.
Mangroves are nature’s filtration system and they also help protect the land from rough seas and surges. The areas where these have been destroyed are now quite vulnerable to the effects of storms. Fortunately, it had been 15 years since there was an intense hurricane season – the year both Emily and Wilma struck. That changed this year. The Riviera Maya has felt the effects of three named storms and the season is not over yet. Early on we had Cristobal and most recently we had back-to-back storms Gamma and Delta within a few days of each other.
Gamma hit south of where we live, putting us on the dangerous side ds of the storm. Luckily for us it was only a Tropical Storm, with gusts up to a Category 1. The surge and the wind were impressive but our home and boat were never in extreme danger. We battened down the boat and had towels, squeegees and mops at the ready. Another thing that is different here from our previous home in Mt Pleasant is the quality of the windows and doors. It is not unusual here for the winds to howl and rattle the panes of glass. Also, depending on the angle of the rain, water will come right into the condo. We were lucky with Gamma, that did not happen, though it certainly did with Cristobal.
Gamma hit on Saturday. Sunday, we walked around and checked on the dolphins and found that there were a lot of trees uprooted and branches down. But by late afternoon we were at Hippo listening to live music!
Soon our focus shifted to Delta which, instead of its original path towards Cuba, had clocked west and was heading right for the Yucatan Peninsula. Not only was it heading towards us but it was growing fast. At one point there were predictions of a direct hit south of Cancun as a category 4 or 5 hurricane. The good news was we were on the “good side” of this storm which meant no storm surge and winds would be coming at us from land not ocean.
We were very fortunate because many locations south and inland of us, where we would have taken refuge, were closed due to the damage they had sustained from Gamma. Some people did choose to evacuate but the closest places they could find were Bacalar or Chetumal, 3.5 to 4.5 hours away.
We went to bed that evening expecting Delta to make landfall about 7AM just south of Cancun as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, but Delta had other plans. The storm sped up and the intensity decreased! Delta came ashore hours ahead of schedule as a Category 2 storm.
I marvel at how people here come together and work so hard to prepare and clean up after these storms. This year has been very hard for everyone along the Riviera Maya. They basically lost months of tourism dollars due to Covid, then had to clean up after 3 intense storms, but nothing can keep these people from bouncing back! And instead of complaints we hear gratitude and determination to rebuild. Their resilience is amazing. If you have followed my writing you have read time and time again about the pride and admiration I feel towards the locals and expats here as they faced Covid and all the hardships that brought. To add these storms on top of this, just as tourism was slowly returning and people were cautiously optimistic about the future, was more than anyone should have to endure. But they, I guess we can now say WE, are bouncing back. We are determined to stay positive and make the best of what life is handing us. Everyday Mike and I comment about how fortunate we are to have chosen this place to be our home! Each rough patch has forged stronger relationships and reinforced our love and respect for our new home.
That said, we would be delighted if those coming to visit would appreciate how hard everyone has worked to keep this area as safe as possible from Covid, and how tirelessly many have worked to clean up after these storms. Please come visit but do it safely. Wear your masks, follow protocol and show your appreciation by tipping generously! Also bring your tourist dollars to the smaller businesses – the family owned hotels and restaurants when possible. Hire local guides and shop at small local stores. These people need your business much more than the major corporations and chain hotels and restaurants! Remember Mexico doesn’t have benefits like Unemployment Insurance so every dollar counts here. Be generous, be respectful and be patient – you’re in paradise! Do your part to preserve it.
You can check our review section in both of our websites, Just Imagine Vacations and Sac-be, for recommendations or feel free to contact us directly.