we'll put cancun and cozumel information in this thread

6+ hours in NE quad. 140-160mph still creeping along @ 3mph. they will be dealing with wilma for awhile

Hurricane "Wilma"
HURACÁN “WILMA”

Special Advisory 44

21 DE OCTUBRE DE 2005 / 19:00 h

Situation Actual
The EYE OF THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANW "WILMA" IS SEEN WITH A VERY SLOW MOVEMENT TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST.

ALERT ZONE:
THE ZONE OF ALERT HAS BEEN EXPANDED FROM CHETUMAL TO SAN FELIPE YUCATAN

DANGER IDEX:
SEVERE
In formation of the hurricane at 19:00 hr local time or 2300 gmt

EYE LOCATION:
Coordinates 20.7 Latitud North; 87.0 Longitud west using satelite image

Closest Distance

The Eye of hurricane Wilma is still oscillating over the island of Cozumel, never the less over the last hour Wilma has shown a tendency toward the north northwest instead of a steady northwest pattern

Wilma still has 220 kph sustained winds with gusts to 270 kph making her still a very dangerous category 4 hurricane.

Ubicación del núcleo o muralla

The western semicircle contiues pounding the coasts of Quintana Roo as well as the western state of Yucatan.

The Eye of Wilma has diminished to 46 kilometers wide but the storm size has increased to 800 kilometeres across.

There has been no change in the estimations of damages since the last report so I won't translate that but, there is a change in the seas as well as expected rainfall.


20 to 22 foot seas can be expected in affected areas and rainfall has been adjusted to up to 24 inches.

Kevin

Someone posted or commented in the command center that Wilma may strike Cancun as a category 1 or 2 hurricane, that information is incorrect at this time and immature a the very least. If Wilma comes onland and hits Cancun from Land and not from the sea as is expected we can expect weakening. If not she could even still strike as a category 5. Remember that what you are seeing now in Cancun is not the worst of the storm, sometime in the early morning the Storm will be over Cancun and then there are many more hours of the storm to come.

FROM CANCUN:
From: "Kevin Alexander Murcko"
Oct 2005 20:34:38 -0600
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/mexico.shtml

We are still here....

I have been getting tons of email asking me if I know the current shelter situation in Cancun, Cozumel, Tulum, etc. As of this point 99% of Cancun and the entire Riveria Maya for that reason is without power. That gives you an idea of why you haven't seen any live TV coverage since early in the afternoon.

The Mexican government did a great job in evacuating thousands of tourists in a small span of 10 to 12 hours. For tourists the evacuations were mandatory. Though the shelters may be uncomfortable, they are safe. I wouldn't worry to much if you have friends or relatives here, they may not be able to communicate for the next few days, but they are safe.

The winds are now EXTREMELY powerful, the noise is loud, the building is shaking, and the storm seems to be very angry.

This building is built to code, and is probably one of the safest in the hotel zone, so we are not to worried, but small family homes must be in shambles.

I will try and keep these updates coming as long as I can. Photos are not even worth it at this point as there is no visibility.

More to come...
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/mexico.shtml
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpg70V06ZlYuF.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgOI9gT976mQ.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgsBfSASS7gZ.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgPLrRQBzggw.jpg

EARLIER:

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 18:23:17 -0600
It is getting very hard to see anything, but the noises tell the story. Crashing glass, flying pieces of wood, hard splashes of rain, it is like a natural symphony of disaster.

Security from our building knocked on the door to see if we had seen a man and two children, they are lost at this point somewhere in the building. The glass sliders have shattered on more than 10 apartments.

My roof on the balcony facing the ocean has collapsed, and the winds have know started to gust at VERY dangerous levels.

I may only be able to take photos from the Lagoon side from now on depending on the storms movements.

These photos are impressive....
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgK8VWM0h6KE.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgq0RVXtZXhK.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgsv9Qy1AVBr.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgzZWI542BCg.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgQR0VVN82i1.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpge48n0GstzJ.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpglTVA1WTxdT.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgbzTtYF9K1s.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpg7SW8JIvv2U.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgYssArItWPN.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgQPWYYqG8QW.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgpS8KGNnXeE.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgvnuoSbU1Dd.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpg5pUuC3sWyR.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgri3lhlpVH4.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpgoF27oMr9Mr.jpg
http://stormcarib.com/reports/2005/jpg16Rs5z5DpW.jpg

Hurricane Wilma batters Mexico's Caribbean resorts

REUTERS

By Greg Brosnan

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (Reuters) - Hurricane Wilma slammed into Mexico's Caribbean beach resorts on Friday with screaming winds that knocked over houses, upturned trees and trapped thousands of tourists in cramped shelters.

Metal sheets flew off the roofs of homes and spun dangerously like frisbees down the street in Playa del Carmen where the town hall lay broken, with windows blown out and furniture tossed onto office floors.

Five flimsy houses collapsed but their residents were among the tens of thousands who had already fled to shelters.

"When the boards blew off our window we decided to look outside and -- Oh my God," said Gloria Winkles, a tourist from Texas sheltering in a small hotel in from the coast and looking out at raging waters that half submerged a blue jeep.

"When we get tornadoes in Texas they come and go in 20 minutes. But this seems to be going on for ever," she said.

Powerful waves swallowed up white sand beaches and flooded low-lying areas, and gusts of over 140 mph (225 kph) bent palm trees double as Wilma -- a slow-moving and dangerously wide Category 4 hurricane -- hung over the area.

"It is well, ugly. We are very worried," said Antonio Garcia, 20, who was left behind to look after the steakhouse where he works in Playa del Carmen.

European backpackers who had spend Thursday night in good spirits as the hurricane first hit, were more somber as they settled down under candlelight for a second night of howling wind rattling their hotel's doors and windows.

In Cancun, a haven of luxury hotels perched on a long strip of sand, tourists evacuated to a business hotel away from the shore were told to stay in bathrooms, well away from windows.

"I'm going to make my bed in the bathroom. That's where they said I should go," said airport worker Ruben Guzman.

YUCATAN NAILED

Forecasters warned of catastrophic damage as the eye of the storm moved in from the Caribbean, over the Yucatan peninsula.

"The Yucatan is really getting nailed on this," said Max Mayfield, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center. "It will continue to pound that region for at least 24 hours."

All along Mexico's "Maya Riviera," thousands of stranded backpackers huddled nervously in dank, sweaty gymnasiums and schools as the flimsy wooden beach cabins where many had been staying took a battering.

At a gymnasium in Cancun, 1,600 people lay on mattresses eating canned food and sweating, many stripped down to bathing suits or underwear. Some worried whether the walls would hold up, while an optimistic local entrepreneur sold T-shirts with the hopeful logo: "I Survived Hurricane Wilma."

"I wish it would get a move on. It's frustrating," said British software salesman Rob Stevens. "We've come a long way and now we are sitting here in a hot, damp, leaking building."

Mexican emergency officials said more than 50,000 people were evacuated and about 17,000 were put in schools, gymnasiums and hotel conference rooms further inland.

The storm was expected to dump 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm) of rain across the Yucatan western Cuba. Some areas could get up to 40 inches, U.S. forecasters said.

CUBA REELING

Mudslides caused by rains from Wilma killed 10 people in Haiti earlier this week.

Cuba was also reeling as rains drenched the west of the island and unleashed tornadoes that destroyed tobacco-curing sheds and homes. One person was badly injured by a sheet of zinc ripped off a roof.

"It made a terrifying noise, like a jet plane," said Felix Leon, in the town of San Juan y Martinez.

Cuba evacuated 368,000 people from low-lying areas as it braced for coastal storm surges and floods.

After talking to several people here in Cancun via the net I have some new information.

It seems the worst of the storm will be here from 3 to 5AM local time when we can expect to see waves up to 8 meters high hitting the shoreline. Several hotels have been reported to be severally damaged, and the Lagoon is now meeting the ocean in various parts of the hotel zone.

I have been asked to record the sounds from inside the apartment, and I am trying to do that now. I will see if I can post something soon.

Thanks once again to everyone for your emails, thoughts, prayers, etc., they are very welcomed.

More to come....


Kevin Alexander Murcko"
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 23:39:25 -0600
Cancun

cancun: predicting at least 19 hours of pounding. people recommended staying in bathrooms. its not going to settle for many more hours. fierce conditions. much power out. generators and emergency power only. hunkered down.

habana: calmweather right now, but evacs underway. civil defense people pulling people from poor quality houses that might collapse. to the west very blustery. officials went door to door putting people in trucks and taking them into govt schools or structures. half million evacd from western end. heavy rain the main potential problem. 10-40 inches possible

from hurricane hunter: eye 40 miles across winds strong, 170mph for them. turbulence not too high, one bad hit. storm 'had its act together' climb/drop 1000 feet or more in seconds in turbulence. wilma very powerful in winds, not as spread out, compact compared to some this year. winds not extend out as far, maybe 50 miles.

From another Cancun forum, about 2 hours ago:

We have some very troubling information coming from our team in Cancun. Police and military are reporting the following:

The Boulevard Kukulcan where all of the hotels are located is no longer visible. The Caribbean Sea has crossed over and met the Lagoon and the waters are rising. All hotels in the hotel zone are flooded and taking water.

The Hyatt Hotel (not sure whether it is Regency or Cancun Caribe) has suffered "extensive structural damage". If you remember earlier images in the thread there were some photos from Televisa of the Hyatt Hotel taken from The Mall Forum by the Sea.

The Hurricane has provoked tornados in the region as well as in Cuba where 4 tornados caused some destruction there.

80% of Cancun is flooded with 3 to nearly 5 feet of water.

The Mayor of Cancun and the Committee for Hurricanes made a tactical decision about 2 hours ago to evacuate some of the areas as well as some of the shelters that are in danger of flooding. The governor of Quintana Roo said in a press release just an hour ago that Cancun and the Riviera Maya has received unprecidented damage and the worst is yet to come.

We do not know what areas yet or whether they are locals or tourists.

Again the downtown area is flooded as well and Gaby is reporting that our friends from Televisa are trapped in a hotel downtown and are awaiting rescue from military staff.

There has still only been one reported death in Cancun and the 9 injured in Playa Del Carmen so far.

Susana Lopez is reporting that they are not able to leave the hotel where they are in downtown called the Handel Hotel because of high water and currents passing the hotel.

Military Troops have arrived from Veracruz and Tabasco with Boats and equipment prepared to move in and evacuate or rescue after the storm has died down.

State Police reported just a short while ago that the area of the Hilton Cancun and the Marriott is "out of control". We don't know what that means as communication in Cancun is minimal.

Update from Playa Del Carmen 9pm:

This is information that we are receiving via 3rd party because we don't have communications with Coral nor Veronica in Playa Del Carmen but here is what we have.

Currently the Eye of the hurricane is still passing over Playa Del Carmen and the Northeast of Cozumel and there is a calm. Not a complete Calm but emergency personnel are on the street evaluating damage and looking for anyone that may need assistance.

The worst is yet to come... National Weather Service in Mexico just issued a bulletin that states the following.

Within the next hours Cozumel, Playa Del Carmen, and parts of the Riviera Maya will be struck with the worst of the storm. 12 hours more of a pounding is expected in the Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen area with an expected 36 hours more of storms.

Wilma continues to move only 7 kph which is just over 4 mph.

Playa Del Carmen has sustained extensive flooding, trees, signs, poles, radio and telephone towers down. Streets like Constituyentes and Juarez are Flooded and not passable. The highway is Flooded and has debris blocking the highway.

A family of 7 were injured when their Propane Gas tank exploded, two children suffered burns over 85% of their body and an adult suffered burns over 65% of his body. The other 4 were burned but over less than 40% of the body. All were transported during the hurricane to Cancun for treatment.

2 Others were injured from flying glass in the afternoon and their injuries were severe enought to be transported as well to Cancun for treatment.

2 babies were born in different shelters one boy and one girl. Medical staff is taking care of them at the shelter.

Again, Playa Del Carmen is in a calm as is Cozumel that is expected to end in about an hour or 2.
.........
"36 hours more for Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen and the worst hasn't come yet. The back end will hit then the rest of the 400 kilometers of the storm which will take til late Sunday afternoon to pass.

Governor is saying that this is going to register as the worst disaster in Mexico's history with damage and records set.

Some Details:

So Far 55 centimeters of rain has fallen on Isla Mujeres since 2AM (a Record)
Stan dumped 36 centimeters and killed 1,500 people in Mexico this month.
Paulina in 1997 Paulina dumped 44 centimeters.

Wilma is 800 kilometers wide
Katrina was 400 kilometers

Some bad news just in, sorry if I posted it already but I was trying to confirm the information. It is confirmed...

The caribbean sea crossed the beaches, into the hotels and has met with the lagoon. The road no longer exists as it is now just one big ocean. Worst yet between 3 am and 5 am the water is expected to rise to 30 feet or 3 stories in the hotel zone causing obviously unmentionable damages to property there. Again, that is a direct quote from the information passed at the 11PM briefing.

Also, doesn't seem we are getting a break right now. The evacuation of the shelter we talked about is now confirmed that the 2,500 evacuated were tourists. Evacuation was because the ceiling tiles were falling.

All of the shelters, homes, businesses, are taking in water because of the pounding rain hitting the buildings.

Winds currently in Cancun are at 260 kph and Wilma continues to move at 7 kph.

We are still translating and will let you know if there is anything else new."

Playa Del Carmen has sustained extensive flooding, trees, signs, poles, radio and telephone towers down. Streets like Constituyentes and Juarez are Flooded and not passable. The highway is Flooded and has debris blocking the highway.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My sister managed to call me this evening (9pm CDT - what's that in Playa?) on a cell phone she borrowed. In a school in Playa, possibly called "colloquia inglais"? Their classrm is wet but windows are not blown in yet, as they are in other classrms. They have bread and crackers, no bathrms at this point. She indicated patience is waning among the 40 or so crammed in their small classrm, and some people "may take matters into their own hands." But she assured me that they are safe, and they are ok. Heavy rains persist, heavy winds. They have been told their hotel (Secrets Capri) is assumed to have sustained a great deal of damage, and she is not sure if they will be able to return to it. They have been told they will most likely remain at the school for some time yet, perhaps through or past Sunday. Situation is dire, she said, but they are still safe as of this evening.

Please continue to share any news from the Playa area - How bad is the flooding there? We are still quite concerned about what happens once the storm relents... My sister kept saying "No one will ever understand what we have gone through. No one will ever believe it. It's living hell."

Praise God they are still safe! God bless all those in the Yukatan, all your families and friends -- Keep praying!

All evacuees will be taken close by not far because really conditions are horrific right now there. Almost no communication and Televisa lost a satelite truck in the storm or it was at least damaged to the point where their crew is reporting via cellular phones.

I was trying to backtrace the information with Gaby and with that number of people in one location we narrowed it down to logically one shelter which has capacity of 2,400. That was the Holiday Inn Downtown which is now the Radison Hacienda Hotel.

Gaby is trying to confirm and get some sleep, I don't blame her.

They will hunker down for the battering they are going to get in the next 6 hours since they and nobody else will be able to be on the street.