Latest on Cozumel and Hurricane Emily

[fsudiver]

Hey everyone, I am in storm-ravaged Florida, and just over a week ago, all we heard were the comparisons of Hurricane Dennis to Ivan. A lot of the weathercasters- especially with the Weather Channel- like to make such comparisons and spread the gloom and doom. As the storm neared, they said it would pack a bigger punch than Ivan and would devastate the same areas hardest hit by last year's storms. We were all prepared for the worst.

After the storm passed and there were no major injuries or fatalities in the area, they said they were so relieved that the storm wasn't as bad as expected. Thankfully, the people hardest hit last year were, for the most part, spared. Meanwhile, 200 miles to the east, just south of Tallahassee, the storm surge devastated small coastal villages, oyster houses, and popular restaurants. Homes were flooded and washed away from the storm surge. Rivers overflowed, and roads including Highway 98- the main coastal road here- became impassable. I was directly affected when a tree branch pierced my roof in Tallahassee during the worst of the storm, and we had 10 inches of rain that flooded through the hole. A friend's house was hit by lightning, and again, we were far from the eye of the storm.

The bottom line is that yes, we should all be prepared for the storms, but let's sit tight and see how the storm does when it hits. So far, the destruction they predicted on the first hit in Mexico was much, much less than predicted. Weathercasting is one of the only jobs where you can be wrong the majority of the time and still have a job. All we can do is hope for the best...let Emily prove them wrong again, hopefully (crossed fingers here!

The tracks of Gilbert and Emily are disturbingly similar

 

[BurBunny]

This press release just out from the Cozumel Hotel Association, as posted on www.divenewswire.com:

Cozumel Recovers Quickly from Hurricane Emily



On-site reports from Cozumel Hotel Association indicate resort destination is recovering quickly from recent storm.





July 19, 2005 (1:30 PM) Cozumel is quickly recovering from the effects of Hurricane Emily, which moved through the island early Monday morning (July 18).

According to Gaston Cantarell Diaz, president of the Cozumel Hotel Association, Cozumel sustained minimal damage and everyone on island weathered the storm safely.

"Cozumel is doing well and operating as normal today. The airport is open and ferry services are up and running again," he said. "Although there was some damage to hotels and other local properties, the important thing is that everyone remained safe throughout the storm."

Current updates from the island:

The Cozumel airport reopened on Monday, July 18, at 1:00 p.m. CST

Ferry services began operating again at 7:00 a.m. this morning (Tuesday, July 19)

Cozumel hotels and resorts are currently open and operating and are expected to complete hurricane related repairs by next Monday, July 25.

Currently the only hotel on island that will temporarily close due to damage from Hurricane Emily is the Iberostar Cozumel Hotel. Individuals with existing reservations at the Iberostar should contact the hotel for further information.

The majority of clean-up on island has been finished and the island roads are completely clear.

Downtown restaurants and shops are open.

To ensure the safety of visitors to the island, approximately 1,200 tourists were evacuated to the Cozumel Convention Center on Sunday evening (July 17) where they rode at the storm. Guests at hotels equipped with safety facilities were moved to on-site shelters.

Tourists began returning to their hotels and resorts early Monday. Guests whose hotels sustained damage by the hurricane were accommodated at alternate hotels and resorts.

 

[Kat]

Sorry gang,
I am not a travel agent. I just show up at the airport & work. Didn't book those poor people, just waved goodbye to them from the jet bridge.

 

[DivingDoc]

Thanks for the update. I am going to Cozumel in mid-August. Anyone know how the Fiesta Americana fared? Does anyone have any idea how the reef fared?? I suppose it's too early for anyone to have been diving since the storm. But it would be nice to know. Fortunately, most of the really great diving sites are deep -- 80 feet or more -- and are less likely to have sustained damage.

DivingDoc

:06:

This press release just out from the Cozumel Hotel Association, as posted on www.divenewswire.com:

Cozumel Recovers Quickly from Hurricane Emily



On-site reports from Cozumel Hotel Association indicate resort destination is recovering quickly from recent storm.





July 19, 2005 (1:30 PM) Cozumel is quickly recovering from the effects of Hurricane Emily, which moved through the island early Monday morning (July 18).

According to Gaston Cantarell Diaz, president of the Cozumel Hotel Association, Cozumel sustained minimal damage and everyone on island weathered the storm safely.

"Cozumel is doing well and operating as normal today. The airport is open and ferry services are up and running again," he said. "Although there was some damage to hotels and other local properties, the important thing is that everyone remained safe throughout the storm."

Current updates from the island:

The Cozumel airport reopened on Monday, July 18, at 1:00 p.m. CST

Ferry services began operating again at 7:00 a.m. this morning (Tuesday, July 19)

Cozumel hotels and resorts are currently open and operating and are expected to complete hurricane related repairs by next Monday, July 25.

Currently the only hotel on island that will temporarily close due to damage from Hurricane Emily is the Iberostar Cozumel Hotel. Individuals with existing reservations at the Iberostar should contact the hotel for further information.

The majority of clean-up on island has been finished and the island roads are completely clear.

Downtown restaurants and shops are open.

To ensure the safety of visitors to the island, approximately 1,200 tourists were evacuated to the Cozumel Convention Center on Sunday evening (July 17) where they rode at the storm. Guests at hotels equipped with safety facilities were moved to on-site shelters.

Tourists began returning to their hotels and resorts early Monday. Guests whose hotels sustained damage by the hurricane were accommodated at alternate hotels and resorts.

 

[cdiver2]

When is going to go away Sunday we were getting spin offs from the north side of her and lost power for 21/2 hours in one of the storms. Now I'm on the generator again, she is pulling storms in from the east side of Florida...I give up.

 

[Photocoz]

This press release just out from the Cozumel Hotel Association, as posted on www.divenewswire.com:

Cozumel Recovers Quickly from Hurricane Emily



On-site reports from Cozumel Hotel Association indicate resort destination is recovering quickly from recent storm.





July 19, 2005 (1:30 PM) Cozumel is quickly recovering from the effects of Hurricane Emily, which moved through the island early Monday morning (July 18).

According to Gaston Cantarell Diaz, president of the Cozumel Hotel Association, Cozumel sustained minimal damage and everyone on island weathered the storm safely.

"Cozumel is doing well and operating as normal today. The airport is open and ferry services are up and running again," he said. "Although there was some damage to hotels and other local properties, the important thing is that everyone remained safe throughout the storm."

Current updates from the island:

The Cozumel airport reopened on Monday, July 18, at 1:00 p.m. CST

Ferry services began operating again at 7:00 a.m. this morning (Tuesday, July 19)

Cozumel hotels and resorts are currently open and operating and are expected to complete hurricane related repairs by next Monday, July 25.

Currently the only hotel on island that will temporarily close due to damage from Hurricane Emily is the Iberostar Cozumel Hotel. Individuals with existing reservations at the Iberostar should contact the hotel for further information.

The majority of clean-up on island has been finished and the island roads are completely clear.

Downtown restaurants and shops are open.

To ensure the safety of visitors to the island, approximately 1,200 tourists were evacuated to the Cozumel Convention Center on Sunday evening (July 17) where they rode at the storm. Guests at hotels equipped with safety facilities were moved to on-site shelters.

Tourists began returning to their hotels and resorts early Monday. Guests whose hotels sustained damage by the hurricane were accommodated at alternate hotels and resorts.

Hey Amber -
Looks like we all a go!!!! I'm on a flight tomorrow, so see you Saturday!!!!

 

[Photocoz]

Local dive op taking a plane load to Cozumel next week. How did the Reef Club fare??

Are you the group coming in on the 31st?!?!

 

[Photocoz]

Any news on the Presidente? Sorry to bother you.

It is said (Armando has NOT seen it personally) but it is said that Presidente really did fine.
MANY (including La Ceiba) are holding off on accepting arrivals until Wed, Thurs, Fri or Sat (depending on the hotel) die to the clean up efforts. For instance, today Armando went to the house to get a big chain to help the guys at La Ceiba Hotel pull the big La Ceiba tree that WAS by the pool, off the new palapa walkway! So there is a lot of THAT sort of thing going on!!!!
RUMOR (Armando has not seen it - so we have no visual proof!!!) is that Iberostar is bad!!!! I fele terrible for those people (tourists AND employees) they say it is a BIG BIG mess!!!!! Next on the worst hit, The Grand. Then that is followed by Allegro & Reef Club - but from what I hear Allegro & Reef Club are cosmetic palapa roof damage or should I say disappearance - however you want to look at it ;-)
Fiesta AMericana & Presidente, La Ceiba, Roberta's Tan-kah Village, Casa del Mar all are jsut cleaning stuff & fine. Almost everything North from there is FINE (just lots of vegitation clean up)
Since Chedraui has electricity it could be one of the only places on the island for an ice cold beer - anyone want to hang out in the frozen food section with me?!?!

Flying in tomorrow. If we STILL do not have any power, hence cannot fire up my computer there, I will call my best friend Sandy in Denver, and have her post some stuff for me!!!!
Wish me luck on going into the camping mode!!!

 

[Photocoz]

I have lots of calls / e-mails of "what can I bring to help out?" Bring Oreos to Christi - that is an easy one !!!! (I'll want to snag one of them too!!)
Okay - seriously,
With no power - they (and soon to be me too!) are all suffereing at night (translates to no sleep)a great deal - there are BATTERY operated DESK fans at Bed Bath & Beyond (cheap too) of course when I went today to buy one for us - they were all sold out - but if there is someone you care about (favorite DM etc...) - that would be a really NICE treat. Battery operated small lanterns. Batteries.
ANy old clothing & such to donate I'm sure will be appreciated by many locals.
Hope this helps!

 

[Photocoz]

I Just spoke to Armando (I am VERY excited to see him tomorrow!) and he drove as far south as they allowed him. The road going south is closed just passed Iberostar.
So No word as to the other side of the island.
Radio was restored today - but once again NOTHING as to the status of the other side - I'm guessing it is not good.
Down south a HUGE radio tower was on the ground.
Solid wood phone poles, & solid cement elect poles - flat on the ground - some snapped like toothpicks.
The CAR ferries were sent to Cuba for safety, and they are waiting for them to come back - when they come back they are bringing 250 electric company workers and the elect co trucks.
People ferries, back in service today.
RUMOR - Rock n Java set to open tomorrow AM! It will be a happening place!
Albert at Prima had damage to his awning - that is it.
Trying to buy a prepaid phone card on the island is CLOSE to impossible.
Power comes & goes in different areas.

That is about it for now!!!!!