Hurricane to make landfall on Mexico’s Caribbean coast
CANCUN: Hurricane Delta churned towards Mexico’s Caribbean coast as thousands of tourists hunkered down in emergency shelters in a string of major beach resorts.
The hurricane weakened to Category 3 as it approached the Yucatan Peninsula, but still threatened to bring strong winds and a “life-threatening” storm surge, the US National Hurricane Center said.
On Tuesday Delta had intensified to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm, according to the Miami-based centre.
The hurricane was packing maximum sustained winds of 195kph early yesterday, according to the Miami-based NHC.
It was located about 129km southeast of the holiday island of Cozumel, just off the Yucatan Peninsula.
Mexico’s Riviera Maya coast is home to major tourist resort towns including Cancun, although the number of visitors has plummeted because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
By nightfall, Cancun’s streets were mostly empty, with shops closed and windows covered by wooden sheets or crossed with adhesive tape to try to prevent them from shattering, according to reporters.
“Although we’ve been living in Cancun for five years, it’s our first hurricane, and the truth is that
we’re very nervous,” said Ana Gabriela Gaeta.
More than 40,000 tourists in Cancun and neighbouring resorts were evacuated, the head of the area’s hotel association, Roberto Citron, said.
Most were Mexicans, but they also included foreigners, notably from the United States.
In Cancun alone, more than 160 shelters were set up.
The authorities said the emergen
cy shelters had been sanitised to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 81,000 people in Mexico and battered the key tourism industry.
“To prevent the spread of Covid19, the same measures have been taken in the shelters as in hotels, such as the use of gel and face masks,” said Cintron.
Maria Alexandra Gonzalez, a 34-year-old tourist from Costa Rica, boarded a bus with a large suitcase and a hat that she never used due to the relentless rain.
“We’ve not had much sun. It’s a pity. We haven’t been able to go out to see other places,” she said.
Soldiers wearing masks and face shields were seen preparing to deploy for relief efforts.
“The order has been given to mobilise up to 5,000 troops with all the necessary equipment to protect the population,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said.