Wilma

Does anyone have any information on what Wilma has done to Roatan,
Belize and Cozumel? Local news doesn't seem to care much. How are the
people we dive with? How about the reefs?

How about the reefs?

If anyone has any info on cozumel and the reefs....please let us know.
My wife and I are planning on going there in November.

Thanks

Thus spake "Randy Neifer" <neifer@infostations.com> :

>
> How about the reefs?
>
>If anyone has any info on cozumel and the reefs....please let us know.
>My wife and I are planning on going there in November.
>
>Thanks
>

On rec.travel.cruises they are reporting Puerta Maya gone,
International cut in half, Punta Langosta still there. Chankanab park
(the facilities) gone.

A friend who lives north of town has not answered his Iridium.
--
dillon

Anyone who says grown men don't cry has never
taken a differential equations final.

In article <64981$435d95a4$4251895c$12324@calis.com>,
neifer@infostations.com says...
>
> How about the reefs?
>
> If anyone has any info on cozumel and the reefs....please let us know.
> My wife and I are planning on going there in November.
>
> Thanks

It sounds like it may be a few days before anyone gets around to the
reefs.

From another forum:

Special Bulletin – Hurricane Wilma

ProTec Newsletter October 2005



With great sadness I am writing these lines about Hurricane Wilma. The
ProTec Newsletter can be subscribed and un-subscribed on our
www.protecdiving.com web page, front page in the lower right corner. So
please let your friends know that they can receive our Newsletter or if
you don’t like to get it please do not hesitate to un-subscribe.



Thanks you for continued support.

ProTec Team


Here is the latest news as of Monday, October 24th, 19:00
Hurricane Wilma has hit the Riviera Maya hard. The eye of the hurricane
came through Cozumel and Playa del Carmen on Friday evening 23:00. The
storm was big and very slow with lots of rain. Large parts of towns and
roads where or are still flooded. Today was a beautiful day, sunshine
and a flat ocean.

Cozumel
Cozumel took a direct hit. Its been hit hard. The car ferry got
immobilized just prior to the storm and stranded in Chinchorro bank,
leaving no ferry transport for help or electricity workers to get to
Cozumel. Three cruise ship piers have been badly damages or a partially
gone. The caletta marina was badly hit with a lot of boats sitting in
it. The northern marina was hit hard and is partially gone. I fear for
the worst there, I would assume a lot of schools have been hit there
too, destroying the infrastructure to teach the kids.

Puerto Aventuras
Puerto Aventuras got hit again as with Emily with a lot of damage,
powerloss, trees, to condos, houses and buildings and 10 smaller boats
sunk in the marina. I have not been in the Poblado yet but hope that the
damage there is not too bad.

Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen took a direct hit and its been hit hard. 5th avenue is
damaged glass and palapas. Ocean side buildings are flooded with a
couple of feet of sand. Mamitas beach club has been hard but will be
rebuilt I am sure. In Playacar beach side buildings have lost there
foundations, the beach road is gone at parts. Two planes on the airport
flipped. A large number of building is damaged beyond repair. The Super
San Francisco Supermarket lost a entire wall.



The good news. Since you are reading this newsletter I had to have
electricity and internet access. Amazing how fast parts of town got
power back. Utility and emergency crews working restless to restore
power and water. Security forces showing presence. Neighbors helping
each other, restaurants and stores are open. No gasoline though but
since we have partially electricity it can't be far away.



Puerto Morelos
Puerto Morelos got hit hard. The road between Puerto Morelos and Cancun
is closed since a large section of it is flooded completely. The road
from the gas station to Puerto Morelos proper is flooded too. The gas
station is working though. Quite a few of the large power towers are
broken. A lot of the palapa roofing is gone but restaurants and stores
are open



Cancun
Cancun took a direct hit. The airport is closed but is supposed to be
back open by Wednesday. We heard reports that the lagoon in the hotel
zone connected with the ocean on the locations. We heard as well that
there where some riots, martial law has been declared in Cancun and a
curfew is in place. The hotel zone is largely damaged and flooded, the
inner town areas are damaged too.



Akumal, Tulum
Small damage only, have not been there, heard its still going, they
selling gasoline in Tulum

Whats gonna happen ....
I am not the greatest optimist on the planet but for Tulum, Akumal,
Puerto Aventuras and Playa del Carmen I can see its gonna bounce back
pretty soon. The way things do improve and the ferocity of the emergency
work force to bring it back will succeed pretty fast. There will be
areas that will take some more time but in general I am looking
optimistic into the future.

ProTec is open, we are diving the caves but the ocean diving is gonna
take a while to come back, mostly the boats into the ocean and gasoline.
Just because we got hit by a hurricane we did not disappear, neither a
lot of the other dive shops or hotels in the area.

Having just been through the hurricane and its aftermath I am looking
far north to Florida where a lot of our friends are just happened to be
in the way of windy Wilma. Our thoughts are with you guys and gals.


As always if you are close by and want to chat or give us a call or
email please feel free to do so.

info@protecdiving.com
0052-984-8031168

Your ProTec Team

"Dr Yak" <Dr.Yak@NoSpam.Com> wrote in message
news:Gfg7f.10460$Ix3.9242@dukeread05...
> Does anyone have any information on what Wilma has done to Roatan,

The wave action took out some docks and sunk a boat or 4. In West End, it
took down part of Eagle Ray's and Sueno del Mar dive shop. There's lots of
cleaning up to do, but other than that, I believe all is well from those
that I'm hearing back from.

> Belize

Recovery underway in San Pedro Belize following Wilma
Fecha de publicación : 2005-10-24

San Pedranos are sighing in relief as they continue the cleanup of their
community following the passage of Hurricane Wilma through the Caribbean
last week. No loss of life or major damage to buildings have been reported
in San Pedro, located off the coast of Belize.

NEMO officials, in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Works, have
assisted in the cleanup of the community. Priority has been given to areas
such as major streets that facilitate the movement of persons, goods and
services. NEMO officials have also been conducting an assessment of the
damages to property and special needs, if any, of the population.

"I estimate that at least twenty-five of our private docks were damaged as a
result of the waves that came crashing ashore," said the NEMO District
Emergency Coordinator for San Pedro, Mr. James Janmohammed. He also noted
that there was a considerable amount of beach erosion following the storm
that brought strong winds, rain and some tidal surges to Belize.

The restoration of the beachfront, along with the repair of private docks,
has already commenced. Equipment from the mainland is to be dispatched. NEMO
's aim is to return the island to normalcy as quickly as possible.

The major utility companies on the island have not reported any significant
damages to their networks as a result of Wilma. Meanwhile, businesses have
opened their doors and are operating as normal. Schools are also open and
school children have returned to their classes.

>and Cozumel? Local news doesn't seem to care much. How are the
> people we dive with? How about the reefs?

Here's the URL to a site that might answer some questions for you:
http://www.aldora.com/wilma/wilma_updates.htm

"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
news:Kyj7f.287742$oW2.94102@pd7tw1no...
>
Here's something from a San Pedro, Ambergris Caye resident:

we had minimal beach erosion, road erosion and a few piers went down.
Maximum gust we recorded was 62 mph. But, it could have been much, much
worse!!

See early damage report posted at www.aldora.com site
According to them the caletta harbor, home to a lot of the dive boats was
hard
hit and most of the boats were damaged, sunk or distroyed. They also note
that most hotels
to the south of town suffered major damage.
Does not look good! We are keeping our fingers crossed for our friends in
Cozumel.

Mike Hill

Dr Yak wrote:
> Does anyone have any information on what Wilma has done to Roatan,
> Belize and Cozumel? Local news doesn't seem to care much. How are the
> people we dive with? How about the reefs?

Roatan and Belize were roughed up a little.
Cozumel was destroyed.

<video@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:11lsiv1eu7el313@corp.supernews.com...
> See early damage report posted at www.aldora.com site
> According to them the caletta harbor, home to a lot of the dive boats was
> hard
> hit and most of the boats were damaged, sunk or distroyed. They also note
> that most hotels
> to the south of town suffered major damage.
> Does not look good! We are keeping our fingers crossed for our friends in
> Cozumel.
>
> Mike Hill

I've heard from my friends in Coz. Here's their letter:

Hello To you all

Sorry for the informal-ness of this email but we just got back on line,
downloaded over 400 emails and just want to thank everyone for your emails,
concerns and especially your prayers.
I am send this via blind carbon copy (Bcc) to protect all your identities.
Will send personal emails to each and everyone as time permits.

We are fine! Although a little red in the face.
We lost the fight by unanimous decision, Wilma scores a TKO
But we do live to fight again.

The island has sustained major damage, you can not imagine it without
seeing it.

Emily was an evening breeze in comparison to Wilma.
There is damage everywhere.
The eye passed right over us after beating on us for nearly 14 hours. We
thought the worst had passed.
3 hour later Wilma is beating on us again, this time for 40 plus hours and
more intense than before the eye.

We had no communication until today when I climbed the pole and hooked up
the phone line, no electricity, no running water, no grocery stores, no
bottled water and running low on beer.

The devastation is unbelievable.
Puerto Maya cruise ship pier is gone, the water front has changed
drastically, No Sand, all gone, nothing but bare rock
Jewelry stores devastated..No tears here.

Each day since the storm Kathy & I go for a drive and have been taking
pictures.
When we get back home we don't feel like we are not the only ones who lost,
because most are worse off than us and we are very thankful for that. We
will get the pictures up on the web ASAP and send all a link..

Our Palapa went down, shop/work shelter was destroyed, lost the roof on the
Mexican house, lost one of the gates at the back, Some trees completely
disappeared from the property.
The house flooded 3", not only water from outside but water coming in
through the shower from city sewer in the new room (too sweet). It was no
fun let me tell you.

We had very little information on the Storm, where it went and how much
damage it caused elsewhere
But now that we are back on line, will find out.

We do not expect electricity for a few weeks.
There are poles down and broken everywhere.
The Island is literally devastated.
The piers are damaged so bad that they can not get the car ferry to dock.
Anyway, I could go on & on & on. I am forwarding an email from friends who
lives here half the year.
(Your email Dick & Gwen, thanks!)

Take care and we will try to stay in touch!
Love to you all,
Dale & Kathy

chilly wrote:
> <video@airmail.net> wrote in message
> news:11lsiv1eu7el313@corp.supernews.com...
> > See early damage report posted at www.aldora.com site
> > According to them the caletta harbor, home to a lot of the dive boats was
> > hard
> > hit and most of the boats were damaged, sunk or distroyed. They also note
> > that most hotels
> > to the south of town suffered major damage.
> > Does not look good! We are keeping our fingers crossed for our friends in
> > Cozumel.
> >
> > Mike Hill

Surprisingly accurate, coming form Dillenhay of Aldora.
He also put in a plug that his Aldora boats are ready to go.

>
> I've heard from my friends in Coz. Here's their letter:

A couple of nitpicks are in order.


> We lost the fight by unanimous decision, Wilma scores a TKO

You either lose a fight by a unanimous decision OR a TKO, but
those are mutually exclusive <i.e., can't both happen>.

>
> The island has sustained major damage, you can not imagine it without
> seeing it.

I've seen plenty of it, from the pics posted by various folks in this
ng and in rec.travel.cruises.


> The eye passed right over us after beating on us for nearly 14 hours. We
> thought the worst had passed.
> 3 hour later Wilma is beating on us again, this time for 40 plus hours and
> more intense than before the eye.

This sounded as if the eye was the killer. Actually if the eye stayed
there for 40 or 60 hours, there would be NO damage. Planes
fly INSIDE the eye (because it's completely calm) just to observe
the storm around the eye.


> Puerto Maya cruise ship pier is gone,

Puerta Maya. Only partially blown away.

http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/...ies.php?s=8185

There's a thread of 32 posts (since Oct 25) about these pics in
rec.travel.cruises.


> We had very little information on the Storm, where it went and how much
> damage it caused elsewhere
> But now that we are back on line, will find out.

How true! Those of us who are NOT in the storm, but had plenty of time
to kill on line, have a MUCH better global view of the hurricane as
well as detailed descriptions and pictures of the damages at various
affected locations around Cozumel/Cancun.

I am killing some time at the LAX President's Club waiting to be
taken to the 80+ degree weather of Hawaii for a few days!

-- Bob.