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| An imaginary look at what the hurricane might look like in Cancun |
My first hurricane experience in Mexico was about three years ago. Picture this: I was in Playa del Carmen, bracing myself for a Category Three storm, which flirted with being a Four but then decided to settle down to a Two. Or was it a two? We were told a three and then a two. I think it made it as a three but slowed down tremendously before it settled. Kind of like when you expect a wild party, but everyone just ends up playing board games. Even so, the damage was no joke. Living right by the beach, my house took a beating – shattered windows, broken doors, and water everywhere.
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| Hurricane Delta (My very first hurricane experience) - Playa Del Carmen, Mexico |
The streets were a mess – downed trees, flooded roads, the
whole disaster movie scene. I couldn't believe it. "Nope," I thought,
"not doing this again!" Right then and there, I decided to always get
out of Mexico during hurricane seasons.
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| 2 weeks after Delta, Hurricane Zeta landed - Mexico |
But just as I was making that decision, boom! Hurricane Zeta hit us, only two weeks after Delta. I hadn't had enough time to leave, so I was caught in another hurricane. It was a real wake-up call to make sure I was somewhere safer next hurricane season.
Another hurricane and this time as my welcome back party in Mexico
Now, let’s jump ahead to this year, 2024. I spent most
of 2024 in Europe, blissfully ignoring the weather back in Mexico. To be
honest, 2023 and the first half of 2024 has been all about globe-trotting for
me. I spent last year and the first part of 2024 hopping from continent to
continent – Africa, Europe, Australia, Asia, South America, North America, even
Antarctica! – Oblivious to the weather that awaited me in Mexico, I was ecstatic to finally return after months of being away. My niece was
joining me for her very first visit, and we were both buzzing with excitement
as we landed in Monterrey, Mexico. Unbeknownst to us, there was a hurricane quietly
brewing out at sea, slowly gaining strength and setting the stage for a rather
damp welcome.
If I'd known about the impending storm, I might have lingered a bit longer in England. But hey, hindsight is 20/20, right? Despite the rain and wind whipping through Monterrey, we were lucky – the worst of the hurricane hadn't hit the city or country yet but it also wasn't the sunny Mexican adventure she had envisioned, but it made for a memorable start to her trip!
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| The skies looked unfavorable for a flight to Mexico, but the rain had stopped |
After our soggy start in Monterrey, we escaped to Mexico City for a bit of calm
before finally making it back to my new ‘home base’ in Cancun. And this is
where the real story begins – the reason I wanted to write this blog in the
first place. So, let's skip ahead to the day we finally got hit by the
hurricane...
Happy Fourth of July (2024), everyone in the USA! While
you were enjoying barbecues and fireworks, I was enjoying a different kind of
show – the weather forecast. A hurricane was brewing, and it was making the
news sound like the end of the world. My friend Akala and I had a good laugh
about it on the phone, joking "What hurricane?" But this one was no
joke.
Just the day before, it slammed into Jamaica as a
Category Two hurricane, tragically taking two lives. It had been a Category
Five out at sea, but thankfully lost some steam before reaching land. Still, a
Category Two hurricane is nothing to sneeze at, kind of like expecting a
monster movie and getting a thriller instead. It's a big downgrade, but it can
still pack a punch.
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| All we could do was to be prepared and wait |
Now, this hurricane has its sights set on Cancun, and it could even strengthen to a Category Four. That's rare for us – we usually dodge these monster storms. In fact, Cancun has only had a couple of category fives or fours in recorded history. So, while I wasn't right on the beach this time (thankful!), I was still keeping a close eye on the forecast.
It is the waiting game now
It was 11:00 PM on July 4th, 2024, and I knew what was
coming: another hurricane party. These storms always seemed to have a flair for
the dramatic, showing up fashionably late like they were channeling some vibes
from my motherland, Africa, where time is more of a suggestion than a rule.
The rain had started with a light drizzle,
nothing compared to the last hurricane bash we'd weathered. I'd stayed up until
2 AM for that one, and the second I finally closed my eyes, BAM! The power went
out. It was like a surprise visit from a rowdy friend – no warning, just a
sudden mess to clean up. This time, at least the lights were still on, and the
wind hadn't started its wild dance yet. But it was the calm before the storm, I
knew it. Hurricanes are like that one friend who always stumbles in late, completely
trashed, and ready to turn your world upside down.
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| Everywhere, businesses were getting ready and the beaches were being closed |
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| Being prepared is all you can do before a hurricane |
When the hurricane would finally show up was anyone's guess, but that didn't really matter. The important thing was to be prepared, just like you would for any epic party. Stock up on water, charge your phones and power banks – the essentials. Last time around, I couldn't even use the "I'm in Mexico with no power" excuse for missing meetings. I ended up crammed into a noisy cafe with a generator, trying to conduct business amidst the chaos.
Power outages are a given during hurricanes, so it's wise to scout out those fancy coffee shops or hotels with generators beforehand. You might need them to get some work done. And as for your home, prepare for a potential flood. Water has a mind of its own and will take over any space it can. Unplug everything – you never know how high the water might rise or what kind of damage this storm will bring.
Beryl finally showed up and left
Finally, Beryl made its grand entrance in Cancun early on
the 5th of July. Luckily for us, the winds had calmed down considerably by the
time it reached us. The hurricane had gone from a Category 3 to a Category 2 –
like a student who aced every question but one and missed out on the A grade by
a hair and ended up as a B+. Imagine that! Just one mile per hour less, and
we'd have been dealing with a whole different beast.
Beryl started its journey near Tulum, cruising
along at 15 miles per hour with winds of 110 miles per hour – just one mile per
hour shy of a Category 3. Even though it's passed through Cancun now, the
lingering rain and wind still make it feel like the party's not quite over.
Next up, it's Texas' turn to get acquainted with
Beryl. Let's hope they don't get more than a Category 2 soaking. Experiencing a
near - Category 3 really makes you appreciate how much difference a single mile
per hour can make. Thankfully, Category 2 is manageable and although a change
of wind could have changed things, I am happy it didn’t and we are through it for
now.
My Experience
The night of the "hurricane party"
arrived with a bang, the rain pouring down and the wind howling outside my
window. It felt like a typical stormy night, nothing too out of the ordinary.
But then, I woke up early in the morning to the sound of furious winds, a true
hurricane awakening. It was 4 AM, and I knew sleep was out of the question.
The news was reporting that the hurricane had
downgraded to a Category 2, but it was still hitting Cancun and the entire
Yucatan Peninsula hard. It's crazy to think that this major tourist destination
was being pummeled by a storm. Imagine saving up for a dream vacation in
Cancun, Tulum, or Playa del Carmen, only to be stuck in a hotel basement,
wondering what to do next. It's a wild scenario, right?
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| As you can see in the first image, the storm was massive, but as it passed by, the northern part weakened significantly. That's what saved us from the heavy rainfall we were expecting. |
Here in Cancun, it was only 7 AM, and the storm was predicted to last until 9 AM. But, as with any hurricane, things could change quickly. And they did. The power went out around 8 AM, but it was a bit of a relief since the water had already been cut earlier. The rain hadn't stopped, and even though they said it was slowing down, I could just imagine the flooded streets outside. I hadn't braved the storm yet, but I knew it must be a mess out there.
I definitely underestimated this hurricane. Just
yesterday, on the 4th of July, it was a picture-perfect day with clear blue
skies and beach weather. Then Beryl came along and ruined the party. It's
apparently the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, which is just insane. I
am just happy I didn’t get to experience its maximum strength.
So, yeah, I guess I invited this hurricane to my peaceful day without realizing how intense it would get. It's like having an uninvited guest who trashes your house. Even though the storm has weakened a bit, I heard it's going to pick up speed again once it leaves Cancun and heads for Texas. I just hope everyone there stays safe and everything turns out okay.
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| The roads were still covered in water a few hours after it came and left |
Update: It's Saturday, July 7th, 2024, and Cancun
is back in full swing, like nothing ever happened. I'm always amazed at how
quickly people here recover after a hurricane. Walking through the city, you'd
never know a storm had just ripped through. The sun's shining, the streets are
dry, and the air even feels cleaner and fresher somehow. It's a bit surreal,
but I'm not complaining!
I know Beryl landed only as a Category 2, but the
fact that everyone bounced back so fast is still impressive. It's like a magic
trick – one minute you're in the middle of a hurricane, and the next,
everything is back to normal. It's one of the things I love about this place –
the resilience and the ability to find joy even after a storm.
Here's the kicker:
With all our fancy technology and gadgets, why can't we
just redirect these monstrous hurricanes? We can make it rain in the desert and
harness the power of the sun, yet these storms remain stubbornly out of our
control. Imagine the lives and property we could save if we could manage these
natural forces.
But then again, maybe it's a bit unsettling to imagine humans playing God with hurricanes. We've already messed with nature enough, often as a knee-jerk reaction to crises. And let's be real, the folks who often bear the brunt of these storms are the most vulnerable. There's a chance those in power might not feel the same urgency to change things if it doesn't directly affect them.
But should we even try to control nature's fury?
We've all seen how messing with Mother Nature can backfire in unexpected ways.
Maybe it's best to respect her power and let things run their natural course.
It's amazing that we can track hurricanes so precisely, watching them form
and move, predicting their paths, even if they sometimes throw us a curveball.
But for all our knowledge, we're still powerless to stop or redirect them. And
honestly, I hope it stays that way. Imagine if a country could create or
control tsunamis and hurricanes – they could use them as weapons, directing
them at their enemies. It's a scary thought. And who knows, maybe we're already
at that point and we just don't know it yet. It's a chilling possibility.