Is Wilma doing much damage?

[Spratman]

Right now, we are just figuring that this trip is a wash (ahem). The hotel zone is covered. The lagoon side and Gulf have met. From the pictures I've seen, some buildings are completely destroyed. Not much chance for a recovery in two weeks. I love Cancun and surely hope that things recover down there quickly. My best to the rest of you that are/were schedule to dive the same time frame. Almost enough people going to have a ScubaBoard dive.

Good luck!

 

[Divedoggie]

I've got a 9 day trip planned for early December. 4 days in Coz and 5 in Akumal. This will be our 2nd trip to both this year, and the 4th Dec that we've gone to Akumal.

Hi Scubawife,
I don't think Akumal was damaged too badly. CNN had a person giving reports from there throughout the storm. The winds were coming from the west(over land). There wasn't a strom surge, and the waves were not all that big. He estimated that beach was added to the area.

Coz is a different story. Major wind damage, flooding, piers destroyed, boats lost, looting. I am hopeful to see a quick recovery, but it may be grim.

 

[scubawife]

Divedoggie, the CNN reports and video were from Gary Walten who runs Locogringo (the reservations company) Things took a bit of a turn after they lost power and phones later Friday, but so far all rebuildable and repairable, which is good. Reports this morning from Jamie (owns La Buena Vida, Vista del Mar hotel & condos and Akumal Dive Adventures) posted by his sister on Locogringo is that the ground floor of condos on Half Moon Bay were washed out, their dive shop suffered major damage and the bodega of LBV is gone, but the main structure is standing with little damage. He couldn't get any further into N Akumal then LBV because the road was impassible. Vegetation is wiped out, which is expected. Laura Bush who owns Hotel Akumal Caribe and the Lol Ha has said (from reports from her husband) that the outdoor beachbar of Lol Ha has severe damage and there is ground floor condo and home damage along Akumal Bay. Mostly from windows and doors getting blown out and flooding. God Bless concrete construction!

I hope that Cozumel ends up being better off them some are expecting once some real news comes in. If they're ready for tourists in Dec, we'll be there. As soon as they get up and running they will need the business.

 

[Divedoggie]

Ouch!
Those reports on Akumal are far worse than I thought.

I've read many different reports, from multi-sources on Coz, and they sound even worse.
In both cases, it will not be an easy clean-up. Even when life returns to normal, the evidence of Wilma will be etched into the landscape, and into people's lives for years to come.

 

[donnad]

hi there. i'm watching this forum as well. hubbie and i are scheduled to fly into cancun on november 6th and stay at reef coco beach in north playa del carmen and are scheduled to dive with akumal dive adventures. yikes!!! we are booked with funjet, so we'll see what they do.......i'm thinking that the airport will be functioning within that time frame and that they may not cancel the flight, but might put us in a different hotel, like something further down the coast from playa. i wouldn't mind staying somewhere down by tulum. that's pretty close to akumal dive adventures anyway. hope they are up and running by then. or funjet might decide to cancel or give us the option to rebook. i don't know. we did not by the trip insurance so are at the mercy of funjet. we were actually sceduled to go down there on this last thursday, but of course were cancelled and so we rebooked it for nov. 6, not knowing of course that the area was in for a direct hit like it turned out. any more info about playa del carmen, the reef coco beach, akumal area, tulum, akumal dive adventures will be greatly appreciated. thanks again. everyone on scubaboard is so awesome and helpful always.

 

[Spratman]

Yes, I just heard this morning on the news that 90% of the resorts in Cancun have suffered serious damage. The eye of the storm made landfall between PDC and Cancun. They said that the trees are flattened, palapas blown away and not a heck of a lot left standing. One guy was saying that there was still sand of the reefs from Emily. I imagine that the reef structure sustained some serious damage as well. I undestand they have a LOT more beach now. I don't know if this is good or not...

I heard over in Coz that most of the boats are underwater, the piers were destoyed and even the concrete piers for the cruise ships were broken. A heck of a storm. We're praying that everyone was okay there.

 

[scubawife]

donnad, I don't think you'll be diving with Dive Adventures next week. Vista del Mar has cancelled all reservations through Nov 15th www.akumalinfo.com Here's some pics posted on Locogringo taken of Half Moon Bay on Thurs when they started getting the waves and storm surge http://www.locogringo.com/forums/tm.asp?m=134614 And the same area on Sunday post-Wilma http://www.locogringo.com/forums/tm.asp?m=136740 Also a report from the owner of Playa Maya http://www.locogringo.com/forums/tm.asp?m=136811

 

[Wannabee]

Hi donnad! I'm sorry to hear your trip is being turned upside down. I'm in the same boat--we're supposed to leave 11/3. Funjet told me today that I'm pretty much out of luck, unless they cancel the flight. Our resort hasn't cancelled our reservation yet, but I'm sure it's coming. I'm wondering now what a puddle jumper from CUN to BZE would cost. Maybe we'll go to Ambergris...trying to make the best of it. I was looking forward to some serious r&r in Akumal

 

[diversteve]

I heard over in Coz that most of the boats are underwater, the piers were destoyed and even the concrete piers for the cruise ships were broken. A heck of a storm. We're praying that everyone was okay there.

See photos 35,37 and 39 here to see what's left of the diveboats. It's not pretty..

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/eve...SOaK8MA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5bGcyMWMzBHNlYwNzc25hdg--

Edit: They keep adding photos so it's somewhere in the 1st 40 or so.

Further Edit: Look at the pictures in the 150's-160's and decide for yourself how soon people will be going back there. It's going to be a long while before they get that mess cleaned up, plus with no tourist dollars coming in, it's going to get worse before it gets better.

 

[Diver Lori]

You have to keep in mind that these people are USE TO fending for themselves and not waiting for a government handout. They will come back faster than you would expect. Look how quickly Phuket was accepting tourists again, and how quickly the local people were going about their daily lives. They are use to taking care of their own.