Costa Maya and Hurricane Dean discussion (merged)

[signdaddy]

I wish we could see coast line pictures of Mahahual. Here is an update of one resort in Mahahual:

 

 

http://www.institutodelmar.com/hurricane_dean.htm

[Sea Island Lady]

We did not see the Red Cross in our community until two weeks after the hurricane. The Red Cross did have shelters AWAY from the hurricane area for evacuees. But they did not have the initial assets to get into the damaged areas.

 

It was the church groups/volunteers who were handing out the clothing and setting up places to feed people who were in need in the damaged areas. I would depend on a church group or local group as they are not tied down with all the BS and are able to get into the areas quicker with more of the dollars getting to those in need.

 

Dave

Our local Red Cross division in TN set out almost immediately after the hurricane to head to NOLA and Mississippi. I am sorry that they didn't get to your location. :) Our church also sent a group down that first week. In fact, hey have continued to do so every few months since Katrina. Just yesterday, our church was collecting money to send to churches in Mississippi that were destroyed in the hurricane. Both organizations work together to provide the best that they can!

 

There are many ways that the Red Cross can help in a catastrophe - besides manual labor, so unless you know about the Red Cross dynamics, there should be no criticism of the organization. They need donations to help others and bad press does not help bring in those donations.;)

[jetskier]

Our local Red Cross division in TN set out almost immediately after the hurricane to head to NOLA and Mississippi. I am sorry that they didn't get to your location. :) Our church also sent a group down that first week. In fact, hey have continued to do so every few months since Katrina. Just yesterday, our church was collecting money to send to churches in Mississippi that were destroyed in the hurricane. Both organizations work together to provide the best that they can!

 

There are many ways that the Red Cross can help in a catastrophe - besides manual labor, so unless you know about the Red Cross dynamics, there should be no criticism of the organization. They need donations to help others and bad press does not help bring in those donations.;)

 

What mostly happened here in Mississippi is they overlooked all the small communities. It got to the point that the Sheriff in Forrest County highjacked an ice truck so that a small town could get what was needed. Most large relief organizations are going to go where the population is not the smaller villages or hamlets where the need is greater.

 

Dave

[Host CJSKIDS]

 

There are many ways that the Red Cross can help in a catastrophe - besides manual labor, so unless you know about the Red Cross dynamics, there should be no criticism of the organization. They need donations to help others and bad press does not help bring in those donations.;)

 

This very true. My husband was on the board of the Nassau County Red Cross up on Long Island until we moved here 8 years ago and has spent some time down here with the Red Cross. He gives of his time as do many, many others. I just don't think that many truly understand the dynamics and everything that goes on behind the scenes as you have pointed out. It's amazing just how much can be raised and how quickly it goes out in times of emergency, it's almost scary.

 

I have donated in the past to the Red Cross after all the hurricanes and will continue to in the future. It may not be a perfect organization, but it's done a heck of a lot of good in many places and is usually right in the front lines helping out.

[Sea Island Lady]

What mostly happened here in Mississippi is they overlooked all the small communities. It got to the point that the Sheriff in Forrest County highjacked an ice truck so that a small town could get what was needed. Most large relief organizations are going to go where the population is not the smaller villages or hamlets where the need is greater.

 

Dave

I am sorry that you have had to go through that jetskier! :( Was your home destroyed, as well?

 

As a side note, Greece is having a terribly horrific time with these fires! Does anyone know if the fires are the port cities that the cruiselines visit?

[In the Pink]

Here's a portion of a recent blog by Cliff in Costa Maya

 

I read some of the news coverage of Hurricane Dean that is now waning less than a week after the third largest storm in recorded history destroyed the Costa Maya without a single death reported as yet. “We are lucky the storm hit a sparsely populated area. . .” most have stated. To this, I must ask, “How many people’s lives have to be ruined for it to be newsworthy?” Or maybe if the kind, gentle souls of the Costa Maya started looting, shooting and killing foreign visitors & officials in total anarchy, they’d all be given a $2,000 credit card to buy whatever they wanted, big screen TVs, stereos, crack cocaine – anything their evil hearts desired – then it would be newsworthy and hearts and pocketbooks would pour out to these poor downtrodden folks in never ending news coverage and relief funds for years to come. No, this “sparsely populated” unlucky area’s people just silently march on in attempt to recover – virtually unaided. Because of their silence, they are quickly forgotten. What a shame!

 

I guess I can consider myself lucky, if one could use the term very loosely considering what could have transpired. My structures are all sound. I only lost one roof. The storm surge was evidently two meters with bashing waves much higher. My biggest problem right now is my power supply. Water incursion in the house drained my batteries, and it will take a lot of charge to refill them. My big generator was completely submerged and will not be useable until I can disassemble it and clean it. I have a little 1,000 kw I can use for powering different things as needed, but it wouldn't make a dent in what my battery bank needs. I need some sun for several days which isn't happening. The solar panels are fine where I had put them.

 

The devastation to the area terrain is mind boggling. Huge coconut trees were snapped off at their basses - not uprooted. I lost maybe two or three meters of beach exposing coconut roots which could damage thirty year old trees. I need to somehow find a trash pump to replace the sand or they'll surely die soon. I've had difficulty obtaining one over the last year here even prior to this. Sure wish I had.

 

But, all in all, other than a ton of work that I'm still not in the mood to do, I'll be ok. It is the poor folks of this area I am concerned about. Over the past years, we have made their traditional fishing grounds a marine park and forced them to change professions as support of the tourism industry here. Sure, their standard of living improved substantially, but with the cruise ship pier gone, hotels closed for major repair (something they are nearly incapable of participating in, I might add.) they are left homeless, penniless and without any future means of support for, most likely another year at the earliest. There is maybe 1/1,000th or less of the interest in this area that the Riviera Maya had due to the success of Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and other very large developments, so aid to these folks will probably be a drop in the bucket compared to their needs. For this, I am deeply concerned.

 

Well, that just about wraps up my balancing act on my new soap box. I appreciate your concerns for me.

 

Sincerely,

 

Cliff

 

For more information and before & after photos of some of Dean’s damage, visit http://www.portillas.com .

 

May God bless you and your families in all your endeavors.

 

I edited out the rest of his post for Cruise Critic purposes, but this gives you a very good idea of what life is like in the area right now.

[KroozFoolz]

 

As a side note, Greece is having a terribly horrific time with these fires! Does anyone know if the fires are the port cities that the cruiselines visit?

See this article from the news section on cc:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2168

[Loucat]

Here's a portion of a recent blog by Cliff in Costa Maya

 

I read some of the news coverage of Hurricane Dean that is now waning less than a week after the third largest storm in recorded history destroyed the Costa Maya without a single death reported as yet. “We are lucky the storm hit a sparsely populated area. . .” most have stated. To this, I must ask, “How many people’s lives have to be ruined for it to be newsworthy?” Or maybe if the kind, gentle souls of the Costa Maya started looting, shooting and killing foreign visitors & officials in total anarchy, they’d all be given a $2,000 credit card to buy whatever they wanted, big screen TVs, stereos, crack cocaine – anything their evil hearts desired – then it would be newsworthy and hearts and pocketbooks would pour out to these poor downtrodden folks in never ending news coverage and relief funds for years to come. No, this “sparsely populated” unlucky area’s people just silently march on in attempt to recover – virtually unaided. Because of their silence, they are quickly forgotten. What a shame!

 

I guess I can consider myself lucky, if one could use the term very loosely considering what could have transpired. My structures are all sound. I only lost one roof. The storm surge was evidently two meters with bashing waves much higher. My biggest problem right now is my power supply. Water incursion in the house drained my batteries, and it will take a lot of charge to refill them. My big generator was completely submerged and will not be useable until I can disassemble it and clean it. I have a little 1,000 kw I can use for powering different things as needed, but it wouldn't make a dent in what my battery bank needs. I need some sun for several days which isn't happening. The solar panels are fine where I had put them.

 

The devastation to the area terrain is mind boggling. Huge coconut trees were snapped off at their basses - not uprooted. I lost maybe two or three meters of beach exposing coconut roots which could damage thirty year old trees. I need to somehow find a trash pump to replace the sand or they'll surely die soon. I've had difficulty obtaining one over the last year here even prior to this. Sure wish I had.

 

But, all in all, other than a ton of work that I'm still not in the mood to do, I'll be ok. It is the poor folks of this area I am concerned about. Over the past years, we have made their traditional fishing grounds a marine park and forced them to change professions as support of the tourism industry here. Sure, their standard of living improved substantially, but with the cruise ship pier gone, hotels closed for major repair (something they are nearly incapable of participating in, I might add.) they are left homeless, penniless and without any future means of support for, most likely another year at the earliest. There is maybe 1/1,000th or less of the interest in this area that the Riviera Maya had due to the success of Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and other very large developments, so aid to these folks will probably be a drop in the bucket compared to their needs. For this, I am deeply concerned.

 

Well, that just about wraps up my balancing act on my new soap box. I appreciate your concerns for me.

 

Sincerely,

 

Cliff

 

For more information and before & after photos of some of Dean’s damage, visit http://www.portillas.com .

 

May God bless you and your families in all your endeavors.

 

I edited out the rest of his post for Cruise Critic purposes, but this gives you a very good idea of what life is like in the area right now.

Thank you for sharing this. I have been wondering how he fared through all of this.

[KroozFoolz]

Where did you find the information from Cliff?

http://www.portillas.com/

[signdaddy]

This is the back of Cat's Meow.. Look at the red roof...

 

 

Sorry

[In the Pink]

Thank you for sharing this. I have been wondering how he fared through all of this.

 

You should check out his site where he has been blogging since before the storm, what he went through during the storm, and what he's seen and done since the storm. It's terrific reading, although simply heartbreaking.

[signdaddy]

This is the back of Cat's Meow.. Look at the red roof...

 

 

Sorry

Attached Thumbnails

[jetskier]

I am sorry that you have had to go through that jetskier! :( Was your home destroyed, as well?

 

We were blessed with only losing shingles. The eye came right over the top of us here. Some of our family members were not so lucky. My FIL was keeping four families deep freezers going with his generator. I was able to supply gasoline for it and other neighbors by sucking it out of my customer's jetskis in the shop. I was sharing my generator with my neighbor until I was able to get a larger one.

 

Because I have internet via satellite, I was one of the few in my area with the ability to communicate outside our area. We had several folks email their relatives to let them know they were okay. Water was out for a week, power was out for two weeks, telephone for 5 weeks.

 

As soon as the storm ebbed, I was out helping cut trees to clear a path on our local roads. The next morning I helped my neighbor cut up a tree in his yard that missed his house by a foot. The Marine Corps League detachment I belong to received a 18-wheeler of clothing and other items from other detachments that we went around and distributed. I had to do something as my business went over three months without any work coming in.

 

Our community has gone through hell. A year prior to Katrina, we had a dam on a 1000 acre lake breach. At one point, there was a 15' wall of water. Over 100 homes were damaged or destroyed but luckily no injuries or deaths. Because it happened in two counties, FEMA would not help as you have to have 100 homes in ONE country to qualify. Our two local churches were a god send for those who lost everything. The ladies of the church cooked three meals a day for two weeks for those without and the work crews. My SIL's house made it through the flood only to have it burn down three days later.

 

Three months later we had a tornado brush over the top of us. It threw my daughter's trampoline over my camper and onto the roof of the house. My BIL next door was not so lucky. It took the roof off his mobile home.

 

After seeing all the misery and damage here, my heart goes out to those in Majahual and surrounding area. Those people have less than we do plus do not have the resources to bounce back as easily.

Dave

[onceagain]

We were there in January and after 12 cruises, this was one of our favorite ports ever! We have so many wonderful pictures of how beautiful it was and it is so very sad to see the devastation now. We met a nice couple that had recently moved to Costa Maya from Arizona, they were living in their fifth wheel travel trailer and were trying to decide if they wanted to build a condo, hotel, etc. on their beach front property. We have thought of them often this past week hoping they are o.k. :(

[Sea Island Lady]

See this article from the news section on cc:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2168

Thank you, IU had not seen this article.

 

jetskier - So sorry for the problems that you and were family were put through. ;)

[robomom]

Jetskier, do you live in Lamar County, MS?

[jetskier]

Jetskier, do you live in Lamar County, MS?

 

Yes, we do. About 8 miles from Big Bay Lake. It is the Greenville/Baxterville community. The problem with MS is all the small towns that are not incorporated. We are 15 miles from Lumberton but that is where our mail service is from.

 

Dave

[robomom]

Yes, we do. About 8 miles from Big Bay Lake. It is the Greenville/Baxterville community. The problem with MS is all the small towns that are not incorporated. We are 15 miles from Lumberton but that is where our mail service is from.

 

Dave

 

All of my in-laws live in Oak Grove. We live in Clinton, MS.

[robomom]

Someone may have already posted this link, and if so, forgive me for repeating this. However, the Locogringo folks have been in Mahahual and have some very good recent photos, including a shot of what's left of the pier:

 

http://www.locogringo.com/hurricane/dean/mahahual26aug07.html

[jetskier]

All of my in-laws live in Oak Grove. We live in Clinton, MS.

 

Oak Grove is about 25 miles from us. When you are down for the Christmas holidays stop in and see us in Oak Grove. We own the large red and white firework tent at the corner of Old Hwy 11 and Old Hwy 24 across from the Fasttrak Exxon station.

 

Dave

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Someone may have already posted this link, and if so, forgive me for repeating this. However, the Locogringo folks have been in Mahahual and have some very good recent photos, including a shot of what's left of the pier:

 

http://www.locogringo.com/hurricane/dean/mahahual26aug07.html

 

Thank you for the link. I am encouraged that the town looks like it is getting some much needed help. The wonderful attitude of the town's people is evident on their faces. I hope that the ships will be able to return shortly so life can return to it's normal rhythm for this wonderful area.

[jetskier]

Has anyone heard how Barbara herself fared? Someone had posted a photo earlier that showed what appears to be the roof of the Cat's Meow on the ground.

Dave

[jetskier]

Juan Carlos Arnau, director of regional programs for Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat (SECTUR), said an investment of 18.3m pesos (US$1.6m) to transform Majahual into a more attractive destination with an orderly tourist zone plan is in the works.

 

The work to transform Majahual’s waterfront into a more appealing place for visitors will be finished before year’s end. There is a possibility of bringing back cruise ships sooner by tendering passengers ashore. A lot will depend on the ability of the local tourism infrastructure to bounce back.

 

Port officials are in Miami outlining Hurricane Dean recovery efforts in a meeting with Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association executives.

 

Royal Caribbean Cruises VP John Tercek is going to Costa Maya as the first cruise line official to tour the area.

 

Dave

[cruisinonup]

Okay, is it just me or is anyone else worried about what Juan Carlos Arnau just said. I was worried before I read that, that big business would come in and take over Mahajual and turn it into another tourist attraction. If anyone who is considering doing this is out there- I like Mahajual the way it was!!!! I know it will never be exactly the same but I really liked the quaintness of it. I hope and pray that the money will be spent helping the small business owners rebuild and keep some of the same charm it had before. I am sure this tragedy of Dean is an opportunity for some to take over and turn Mahajual into a resort area or another money making proposition. I was so nice the way it was!!!!!

[aggieastrosfan]

Juan Carlos Arnau, director of regional programs for Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat (SECTUR), said an investment of 18.3m pesos (US$1.6m) to transform Majahual into a more attractive destination with an orderly tourist zone plan is in the works.

 

The work to transform Majahual’s waterfront into a more appealing place for visitors will be finished before year’s end. There is a possibility of bringing back cruise ships sooner by tendering passengers ashore. A lot will depend on the ability of the local tourism infrastructure to bounce back.

 

My worst fears are confirmed. Sounds like the Majahual we all know and love will no longer exist. :( This is the last thing I wanted to hear.