The latest report suggests the proposed Yucatan landfall of Dean has made a small, but significant, shift southwards. The projected path of the eye is now some way south of Tulum. While this area is relatively unpopulated, those that do live there tend to live in poorly constructed housing, and are at major risk. So what might be good news for Cancun will be terrible news for some. Once Dean hits Jamaica tomorrow there may be further adjustments made to his Yucatan path.

As always, it’s wait and see time.

This was earlier today from the space shuttle before it landed ahead of schedule because of Hurricane Dean. Impressive footage.

This video makes me cry sometimes. Going through Wilma was emotional, no matter how brave we may like to seem. Almost two years later, the things I remember are POSITIVE. I know, weird. I remember making friends with people I had never met. I remember neighbours bringing over milk because they had seen us with our new baby but had never met us. During the eye of the hurricane, the neighbours were walking around sharing news, sharing food and drink and offering assistance. After the hurricane everyone was in the streets cleaning up, offering to help with our yard and describing experiences. Friends came by with animal crackers and laughed with us, no matter how smelly we were. When I finally got electricity back and checked online, I saw thousands of supportive emails and posts on the message boards.

The incredibly rapid recovery of Cancun is due to the citizens of this city and the strong support of the Mexican government. Salud Cancun!

posted by CancunCanuck

Hurricane Dean is a little less than 48 hours away from making what may be a catastrophic landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula. Here in Cancun, Mexico it is very much a case of the lull before the storm. Cancunense folk, hardened by the experience of Wilma in 2005, are measured and calm and going about their preparations for a hurricane of yet unknown proportions.

The Hurricane Dean forecasts today have not produced any major changes, as Dean continues along his wrecking path. Jamaica is due for a severe pummeling tomorrow and us the day after. Dean remains a category 4 hurricane, boasting sustained wind speeds of 150mph and gusts up to 185mph, but is expected to reach Category 5 status in the next 6 - 8 hours.

The computer models are beginning to converge, and there seems to be a concensus that moves the Yucatan landfall ever so slightly southwards, which if the trend continues could be good news for Cancun. However, with hurricane force winds extending for some 60 miles and likely to grow there is a very real danger that this will be a big one for Cancun, even if we don’t suffer a direct strike.

The sounds of saws and hammers continues into the night as people board their windows and there is little to do but sit back and wait and see where we all are in 36 hours time.

Posted by Steve

Live Cancun Webcam | Cancun Message Board

from NASA TV….

posted by CancunCanuck

I’ve just gotten an update related to my last post. It seems that the Canadians are taking good care of their people, as they always do, the major Canadian airlines are sending lots of empty planes to Cancun. Good for them!

The U.S. airlines are not doing quite as well as the Canadians. It seems the U.S. carriers are sending in lots of planes but there are some passengers on them. The report I heard was that the most full plane today had around 70 passengers on it. But most flights from the U.S. are coming with fewer than 30 people on them. So the good news is that there are planes coming in and that means more people can get out before Hurricane Dean hits us.

Posted by RiverGirl

RiverGirl’s Blog

I’m getting reports that several of the major airlines are sending empty planes to Cancun with which to bring tourists out of harm’s way. This is a very good thing and my hat is off to them! The tourists who get out before the hurricane hits will be grateful. And it will mean fewer people need to use the emergency shelters here, which is a good thing. The fewer people there are here during an emergency situation the farther the emergency resources here will go.

Unfortunately I’ve also heard that some of the larger tour companies have not yet decided to send in rescue planes and are instead ready to send their guests to shelters.

After Wilma many of the shelters were quite unpleasant places to be, they kept people fed and alive and safe, but nothing more. Let’s hope these tour companies change their minds about this and bring in some planes, and quickly! It will be better for their guests and better for the rest of us who are left behind!

Posted by RiverGirl

RiverGirl’s Blog

My best advice is to attempt to get a flight out of Cancun. That may not be a possibility, if not, do not panic! Keep in mind that no tourist was harmed during Wilma, the hotels and emergency personnel do an excellent job of keeping everyone safe. The government and hotel managers are already enacting plans to provide shelter, food and water to any tourist in Cancun.

If you are going to be here, please contact your travel agent or hotel management for their current plan status and ask their advice. Most likely they will tell you to remain calm, pack your bags and wait for an evacuation order. I would advise that you purchase water, non-perishable foods, hand sanitizers or baby wipes, grab a couple of rolls of a personal toilet paper stash, find books or playing cards to keep you occupied, flashlights if you can find them, basically anything you can think of that will help you be more comfortable in a shelter for a couple of days. Keep in mind that there will most likely not be electricity or running water. Find a safe and dry place for your travel documents, a plastic bag is a good bet. Plastic bags will be good for protecting electronics as well.
I would also suggest contacting your country’s consulate and let them know where you are, what hotel, the shelter location if you know it, your cel phone if you are carrying it and your family’s contact numbers back home.

Here is a short list of consulates in Cancun. Leave a comment if you need info on a different consulate not listed here.

UNITED STATES Consulate
Jurisdiction: Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Riviera Maya
Honorary Consul: Lic. Lynnette Belt
Assistant Consul: Lic. Gina Castro
Address: Plaza Caracol II L 323 BlvdKukulkan km 85 Zona Hotelera
Schedule: Mon-Fri from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Phone number: +52 (998) 883-0272 Fax: +52 (998) 883-1373
Embassy: +52 (55) 5080-2000
Emergencies: 044 (998) 845-43-64
EMail: lynnette@usconscancun.com

UNITED KINGDOM Honorary Consulate
Jurisdiction: Quintana Roo
Honorary Consul: Mr Mark G Carney
Secretaries: Margarita Salazar and Elsy Leal
Address: Royal Caribbean Hotel, Blvd Kukulcan Km 17
Schedule: Mon-Fri from 9:00 AM a 5:00 PM
Phone number (Cancun): +52 (998) 881-0100, +52 (998) 885-1225
Phone number (Mexico City): +52 (998) 5525-1581
Cell phone: 044 (998) 874-1038
Fax (Mexico City): +52 (998) 5207-7072
Email: ion@britishConsulate.cancun.com, mcarney@royalresorts.com

CANADA Honorary Consulate
Jurisdiction: Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche
Honorary Consul: Sr. Daniel Lavoie Bilodeau
Assistant Consul: Sr. Ricardo Sosa
Address: Plaza Caracol Dos 3er piso Local 330
Schedule: Mon-Fri from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Phone number: +52 (998) 883-3361, +52 (998) 883-3360, Fax: +52 (998) 883 3232
Emergencies: (Canada) 01 (800) 706-2900
Phone in Mexico City: +52 (55) 5724-7900
EMail: cancun@canada.org.mx, lavoied@canada.org.mx, sosar@canada.org.mx

posted by CancunCanuck

This is an excerpt from Dr. Jeff Master’s blog on wunderground…..

“Mexico
The models have come into much better agreement this morning on the longer term forecast, and it looks very bad for Cancun and Cozumel. Dean will give those resort areas a pounding like they received from Hurricane Emily (Category 4) in 2005, and Hurricane Gilbert (Category 5) in 1988. Dean will probably not be as bad as Wilma (Category 4) in 2005, since Wilma stalled out over Cancun for three days as a major hurricane. Dean is moving quickly, and will not linger long over any of the regions it strikes.”

Computer models from wunderground….

Hurricane Force Wind probabilities….

posted by CancunCanuck

Raw video from Associated Press of Dean working it’s way over St. Lucia and Martinique.

Local video from Martinique. The sound is what really takes me back to Wilma, I will never forget that hurricane winds sound like jet engines.

posted by CancunCanuck