Hurricane John Off Mexico Coast

Thursday August 31, 2006

I hate it when headlines regarding a place I'm visiting read in ways like this: "Hurricane Lashes Mexico Coast," or "Hurricane John Menaces Mexican Tourist Resorts." That's what greeted me on the news I'm reading from Puerto Vallarta this morning, and this is how the note that was stuck in my hotel door last night reads in part:

"As you may know, Hurricane John is close to Puerta Vallarta's bay.... The Meteorological Service estimates the hurricane will not hit Puerto Vallarta, but will cause tidal waves and strong rain and winds during the day and night. Due to the 'Yellow Alert,' please follow these precuations:

1. Stay away from the beach area, palms and windows.
2. Stay in your room or at the main lobby."

Well, okay. The note goes on to say that it's highly unlikely that we (guests of Puerto Vallarta's NH Krytsal hotel) will be evacuated and, in fact, the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 3 briefly last night, though it's now back to a 4. Certainly plenty to wreak havoc, which John is apparently doing further south in one of my favorite Mexico towns, Zihuatanejo. Parts of Jalisco, the lovely state in which my temporary Puerto Vallarta home away from home is located, are forecast to experience hurricane force winds (wind greater than 74 mph) and waves of up to four meters sometime today.

We have been given just a tropical storm warning for the moment, and, with luck, protected Banderas Bay, the horseshoe of water between Puerto Vallarta and the open Pacific (that's it in the photo above, taken Tuesday night, and at left today), will provide a perfectly safe haven from the storm. Puerto Vallarta Mayor Gustavo Gonzales said last night that 50 shelters are ready*; John is scheduled to make landfall later today at the tip of Baja Sur, the peninsula south of California -- preparations for major mayhem are under way there.

I'm pleased that About.com is actually featuring some hurricane preparation tips right this minute, and I read them yesterday -- check it out (below) if your plans call for cruising too near hurricane country for comfort this fall. Me, I'll make sure the mini bar is stocked and laptop batteries are charged. Bring it on.

^{Related: Pretty Puerto Vallarta | Beginner's Guide to Mexico Travel | Mexico pre-Travel Planning FAQ | About Acapulco | Current Hurricane John Data

Photos © Kathleen Crislip}