Costa Maya and Hurricane Dean discussion (merged)

[LHP]

I am glad we had a chance to visit Chac-Chi last month (and became OFFICIAL members of the "Hole in the Fence Club"...

 

 

I would imagine that the photos and memories are all that we have left of Chac-Chi.

 

I read yesterday where the area should expect a 20 foot storm surge - that pretty much wipes the slate clean there. I anxiously await those first few photos of whatever is left of all the shops/pool area...

 

 

Tom

 

 

Hey Tom!

 

We joined that famous "hole in the fence" gang last week. (on Monday)

 

If anything good does come from this storm, (as an earlier poster said) I hope it takes that wall far far away!!!

 

We were suppose to be back there in December.

[Dotski]

We were just in Costa Maya while on the Liberty at the end of May. At the suggestion of Donna, about 50 of us stopped at the Cat's Meow throughout the day. Barb, the owner who is a fellow Canadian was very warm as was Hugo who served us. I so hope they are ok...!

[Mikel1733]

These folks are very industrious and hard workers and will get back on their feet. We will all have to ready to book plenty of cruises to the Yucatan to spend our dollars to help them out.

[LHP]

These folks are very industrious and hard workers and will get back on their feet. We will all have to ready to book plenty of cruises to the Yucatan to spend our dollars to help them out.

 

You are sooo right. After Wilma hit Cozumel, Paradise Beach was up and running in 3 weeks. That is a true testimony to how hard these folks are willing to work to get things "back to normal".

[Donna - dsw]

Supposed to be there on our 09/08/07 Western cruise - sure hope they are all okay and open by then. We will support them if they are!

[GoinCruisin]

Supposed to be there on our 09/08/07 Western cruise - sure hope they are all okay and open by then. We will support them if they are!

 

Don't get your hopes up... A category 5 hurricane very easily could have wiped CM off the map :( As much as I sit here and hope, this was more likely than not, catastrophic to that area. After seeing what a slightly less intense storm (Wilma) did to the piers in Cozumel, it's scary to think what this storm could have done. After seeing the homes in the village, I don't see how they could possibly have withstood 165+ MPH winds. I just pray for the people in the village... I may be wrong, but I think it's going to be a very long time before anyone goes back to CM

[TNCruzer]

but it does not look good. Guessing from the map, Costa took a direct 165mph hit...stronger than Andrew:

 

prayers and wishes...meanwhile, Coz & PLC are getting hit with 90mph feeder bands...more beach erosion-dam!

[sunshinewitch]

So sad right now.:( We were at Cats Meow on Aug 08 and had such a good time, it was mine and my daughters favorite port. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Costa Maya, especially Barbara, Hugo and their families.

[jasmith52]

What a Shame.

 

I was in Costa Maya/Majahual in February of this year. We spent a charming afternoon on the beach in Majahual and really enjoyed ourselves. The beach there was just what everyone wants, beautiful and serene, away from the over development and all the hub-bub. We even bought a T-shirt there right on the beach.

 

I'll bet that there isn't much left now.

 

What a shame.

[Donna n Francis]

Prayers to everyone in its path!!! I was in Costa Maya in May as well, and it was one of my favorite ports. There was a man there at the dock painting tiles with his hand absolutely amazing I purchased like 5 tiles.

 

God Bless them all

 

 

Hi Manny....I was there with you on the Carnival Valor too. Hope and pray everyone is safe. The group of us still say we all enjoyed our day in Costa Maya over all the other ports of call on our cruise. You just can't bet the unspoiled atmoshere of Costa Maya and Majahual. At least we have great memories & photos of this stop.

 

Donna

[Aquahound]

Intial reports coming out of Quintana Roo, Mexico are not very good. Costa Maya might be destroyed. Nothing definitive yet.

 

I hope it's wrong because I love that place.

[markwojo]

How could Costa Maya be anything other than completely destroyed and oblitorated? It took a direct hit from the upper right quadrant of a cat 5. My hopes are that only property loss is the result.

[GoinCruisin]

How could Costa Maya be anything other than completely destroyed and oblitorated? It took a direct hit from the upper right quadrant of a cat 5. My hopes are that only property loss is the result.

 

I know... it's a very grim thought. I pray for those people. I remember asking some of the people at Pez Quadro about how their homes did in Wilma, and the answers weren't so great... and that was not as intense and not a direct hit on them... I can't imagine it's going to be good news :( I almost wish I had never seen some of the houses or "businesses"... my heart just aches for the people there.

 

Here's another update, with some pics... http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSLAU66395620070821?src=082107_1116_TOPSTORY_dean_batters_mexico

[Kempa]

Wilma stayed near shore for about three days wreaking havoc along the Yucatan communities. If you saw what was left of the cruise ship pier, you know what I mean.

 

Costa Maya/Majahual took the direct hit this time, but it was one punch and gone. Let's hope the destruction was not so massive. I am sure that a lot was destroyed, but knowing how they build in Mexico (concrete block masonry), I hope the destruction was not so great.

 

Let's hope for limited damage and a quick reconstruction. That place is paradise.

[bbaileyfamily]

an excerpt from the AP story a few minutes ago about the hurricane landfall:

 

"The eye of the storm hit land near Majahual, a port popular with cruise liners, and it was racing across the Yucatan Peninsula toward a Tuesday afternoon entry into the Bay of Campeche, where the state oil company evacuated the oil rigs that produce most of Mexico's oil."

 

That sucks for those people down there. The selfish thoughts would be to hope that there is something left for us to see in late October. The humanity thoughts are for those people down there that might have lost everything.

[gaiamother]

So sad. My family fell in love with Costa Maya and Majahal on our first trip there in Jan 06 and returned this past Jan. We always go to majahal and Juan, a local served us both times and this past Jan. he had remembered us after a year. I hope for the best for the people there and hope that one day we'll return to see Juan again. It's very sad to think that a place such as this could be destroyed.

T

[qaperson]

The slideshow in that link looks just terrible - I feel so sorry for the people down there! I hope they're able to pull things together quickly enough to support tourism because I would imagine they'll need the money more than ever.

[In the Pink]

Our favorite port also -- been there twice now.

 

Here's an excerpt from one report I found on the area:

"When Dean first struck land near the cruise port of

Majahual, it had sustained winds near 165 mph and

gusts that reached 200 mph — faster than the takeoff

speed of many passenger jets. Then it raced toward a

Tuesday afternoon entry into the Bay of Campeche,

where the state oil company evacuated the offshore

rigs that produce most of Mexico's oil and gas.

 

The storm, which killed at least 13 people across the

Caribbean, was expected to push a surge of seawater 12

to 18 feet above normal tides onto the coast and

dumped huge amounts of rain on the low-lying Yucatan

Peninsula, where thousands of Mayan Indians live in

stick huts in isolated communities. **

 

With the storm still screaming, there were no

immediate reports of deaths, injuries or major damage,

Quintana Roo Gov. Felix Gonzalez told Mexico's

Televisa network, though officials had not been able

to survey the area.

 

The governor said 250 small communities were

evacuated, but local media reported that others turned

away soldiers with machetes and refused to leave.

Driving rain, poor communications and impassable roads

made it impossible to determine how they fared.

 

The eye passed directly over the state capital of

Chetumal, where residents were ordered to stay home

until 10 a.m. Tuesday after a harrowing night with

windows shattering and heavy water tanks flying off of

rooftops. Sirens wailed constantly as the storm

battered the city for hours, hurling billboards down

streets. All electricity was down.

 

 

**on our tour of Chachobben with Ivan he told us that the Mayan people hide in the tree roots during hurricanes! Can you imagine holding on to your babies behind a tree during a cat 5 storm!

[rubycruzr]

We were in Majahaul in December and it was without a doubt our favorite stop. We absolutely fell in love with it. My whole family is so sad today and praying that everyone is safe. It breaks my heart to think what has happened to that wonderful little village. Our prayers will continue for all of the people that have been affected by this storm.

[TVMet]

Dr. Jeff Masters at weatherunderground.com has some more information on the fate of Costa Maya in his blog today:

 

http://www.weatherunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html

 

One of the major concerns I have is that Dean was getting stronger at time of landfall. Wilma, although moving slow, was weakening when it lingered over the Yucatan in 2005. Most of the really deadly and damaging hurricanes in the past have been getting stronger at landfall. If Dean had had a few more hours out over the open water before landfall, it might have been the strongest hurricane of all time to hit land in the Atlantic (at least that we know of.) Anyway, read Jeff Masters blog for an interesting image of the winds at landfall. Not good.

[mntravler]

We also fell in love with Costa Maya. All of the people in this small town are in our prayers.

[Cammie]

I've been to Costa Maya 4 times. It's without a doubt my favorite port of call. It's heartbreaking to think about what may be left there. We're supposed to go in January and my hopes and prayers are that, by some miracle, Majahual was spared the brunt of everything...

[GoinCruisin]

Dr. Jeff Masters at weatherunderground.com has some more information on the fate of Costa Maya in his blog today:

 

http://www.weatherunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html

 

One of the major concerns I have is that Dean was getting stronger at time of landfall. Wilma, although moving slow, was weakening when it lingered over the Yucatan in 2005. Most of the really deadly and damaging hurricanes in the past have been getting stronger at landfall. If Dean had had a few more hours out over the open water before landfall, it might have been the strongest hurricane of all time to hit land in the Atlantic (at least that we know of.) Anyway, read Jeff Masters blog for an interesting image of the winds at landfall. Not good.

 

Thanks Met for posting that... I think this part says it all :(

 

 

The coastal area north of Chetumal where Dean's greatest fury was unleashed has a cruise ship port and a stretch of beach front development, and this region probably suffered near-total destruction.

[cruzegirl]

Well I too am putting the town & the people of Costa Maya in my prayers. I was at that port last December for our cruise and was diving there..... It was beautiful. Not yet built up or commercial.... loved it...... Makes me sad to think it might be totally ruined or destroyed. I'm hoping that didn't happen..... Love this photo from there....

[Kempa]

How long will it take until we can get some of this back?