We’ll hopefully be posting short more frequent posts now. We’ve started to feel the wind pick up and there is lightning on all sides. No rain yet and no thunder, but we can feel him coming now. We’ve still got electricity and internet, so it’s all good. Thanks for checking in!
posted by CancunCanuck 8:48 local Cancun time (Central Time)
Just another quick post. They are not evacuating the hotel zone, everyone is bunkered down in the hotels if they are still here. At 10:00 tonight I will have an airport update, at the moment there is a rumour that it won’t close at all and they will try to get some flights out tomorrow. That is a rumour, I will confirm later if I can. Hubby tells me that the Royal Resorts are at 70% occupancy with all their guests staying in the resorts. I’m lucky enough to have a houseguest with inside info, will post if we hear anything. Take care all!
posted by CancunCanuck
Just wanted to check in with everyone, we are at home relaxing with our wonderful house guests. All is calm right now, we’re relaxed, watching movies and having a few Cuba Libres. The kids don’t really know what is going on, and I suspect that is for the best. Family and friends have been calling and it’s nice to know that so many people are thinking of us. Our thoughts are with the people south of us, we wish them strength and luck and hope that all turns out ok.
Here’s a pic from sunset, about an hour ago here.
posted by CancunCanuck 8:11 pm local time
Statement as of 8:35 PM AST on August 20, 2007
Data from the Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft currently investigating Hurricane Dean indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to 160 mph…making Dean a potentially catastrophic category five hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.
Forecaster Knabb
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Posted By Dangers
Jim
Posted By Dangers…
Jim
Over the last few days, as it became apparent Hurricane Dean was going to make a Yucatan Landfall, sometime early Tuesday morning, I’ve been asked many times about the locations of many of the array of towns, villages and areas mentioned. Below is map of the Yucatan Peninsula, noting major cities and towns, along with certain points of interest.
Currently, the anticipated track of Hurricane Dean from the National Hurricane Center in Florida is indicating a landfall between the Felipe Carillo and Chetumal region, just North of the Mexican border with the country of Belize. This area includes the ecological reserves of Sian Ka’an and Uaymil. As of the most recent reports from the NHC, the area of Punta Herrero, to Majahual, to Xcalak on the coast, inland to Bacalar, and offshore, Chinchorro, appears extremely vulnerable to Hurricane Dean which is currently a very strong Category Four (4) Hurricane with winds measured at 150 MPH. Dean is expected by NHC projections to reach 156 MPH winds or stronger before striking the Yucatan, making it a very dangerous Category Five (5) Hurricane.
It’s important to keep in mind that the NHC has noted that Hurricane strength winds will extend outwards of up to 60 miles from the storms center, with Tropical Storm strength winds outwards of 200 miles.
The area projected for landfall is populated by not only towns but many small Maya villages that will be extremely vulnerable to Hurricane Dean’s strength. Flooding and heavy rain is also expected, as are storm surges and heavy surf along the coast. These towns and villages are traditional buildings, not the concrete pleasure palaces of Cancun, and in many cases the smaller villages, are areas populated by palapa housing, common to the Maya.
In an effort to assist readers with distances, the following are approximate distances from Cancun in the Northern Yucatan.
Cancun to Tulum: 80 Miles
Cancun to Felipe Carillo: 140 Miles
Cancun to Majahual: 190 Miles
Cancun to Chetumal: 240 Miles
Stay Calm, Stay Safe, Stay Smart…
Posted By Dangers
Jim
Two new videos we took in Cancun today. These were taken about midday. The beach featured is the same one as the pics below, Playa Marlin - behind Plaza Kukulcan.
The other is a drive through the hotel zone as far as Plaza Kukulcan. Sorry about the speedy driving, I think I must drive like a local now!
I will try and take the same videos again in two days time.
Posted by Steve
The latest update shows very little change as expected. The tracking path remains well south of Cancun, and the hurricane has not reached Category 5. But, there is still time yet.
Posted by Steve
After my telephone interview for breakfast time news with KRIV FOX26 in Houston, I’ve also just done another pre-recorded one for BBC Radio 4. If you’re in the UK you can catch it on the “World Tonight” programme that starts at 10pm UK time, so you’ll have to be quick. My part is due to air around 10:15pm. I may have another interview to do for BBC Five Live later tonight (to be aired at 2.00am UK time) although this is yet to be confirmed.
The Fox coverage has been spread through their network and will also be featured on Fox LA, Fox Chicago and Fox NY, it may also be shown on Fox News.
CancunCancuck has been in contact with Canadian TV and Rivergirl has a phone interview with USA Today. This site has certainly caught the attention of the watching World.
We also have our site featured in the LA Times blog
If you are a member of the press and wish to discuss any matters related to the hurricane and Cancun with the local bloggers then please post a comment with your email and we will get back to you. We’d rather not give our emails out publicly as we may well be deluged and will struggle to answer everyone, to keep the updates coming and (lets not forget) deal with the hurricane itself.
Earlier today the site suffered some downtime, this was due to the phenomenal traffic we were receiving, at some times more than a 100 people a minute were visiting the site. The site has now been moved to a dedicated server which is more suitable for the traffic volume and should suffer no further downtime.
Posted by Steve
We had a drive out to the Cancun Hotel Zone today at lunchtime. It was very quiet with few tourists around. The skies were near normal and though a little breezy by the sea it was nothing out of the ordinary and the sun was shining. The beach is at Playa Marlin, near to the Tucancun and Villas Marlin, behind Plaza Kukulcan. We have some video which we are just editing and putting together and should be online soon.
Just gone 3pm here and although the skies are becoming cloudy, and winds picking up a little there’s no sign of rain yet.
Posted by Steve
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