Detour
Tuliapan. Photo © Howard Dratch
For now I have not been posting regularly. Those entries I make will appear first on my major blog, 7 Color Lagoon
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29 September 2008
20 July 2008
Dolly Should Not Be Ignored
500 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008
...DOLLY HEADING TOWARD THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE YUCATAN PENINSULA OF
MEXICO FROM THE BORDER WITH BELIZE TO CAMPECHE MEXICO. A TROPICAL
STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COAST OF BELIZE FROM
BELIZE CITY NORTHWARD TO THE BORDER WITH MEXICO. A TROPICAL STORM
WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE
WATCH AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.
It appears still that Cozumel, the Mayan Riviera and Merida will be the targets according to this latest forecast by NOAA of wind speed predictions within the affected cone.
Tropical Storm Dolly Threatens Yucatan
The last tropical storm that hit us in Chetumal (it came up from Belize) I belittled -- and prepared. I was wrong. It only brought us a lot of rain with flooding limited to remote areas, I thought. I was wrong that time since a number of people died in Belize and parts of Campeche and Tabasco states in Mexico did suffer from the strong rains.
As the active storm season begins the US is threatened with Bertha, there is a storm forming in the Pacific, a depression in the Atlantic that might or might not intensify and Dolly is making tracks for the Yucatan Peninsula (check out the graphic from NOAA. It appears that Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Mayan Riviera can expect some wind and water and Merida appears in its path. With luck we will be spared on the southern frontier since I have not prepared well this time -- although in this part of the world it is best to always be basically ready for a good storm.
Meteorology
Mexico
Weather
travel warnings
10 June 2008
Eat Well Eat Safely
Photo © Howard Dratch, 2008.
I just put up a post on
Lizard Stewabout food safety, tomatoes and disinfecting food. It seems more necessary when traveling -- especially to the developing nations like Mexico, famous for food-borne illnesses -- but Americans are finding that contaminated food can be found right at home.
Food
Health
Food Safety
Travel
03 June 2008
State Department Travel Alert
Tropical storm Arthur came over and seemed small. But its winds and rain came later from the backside. In its slow path across the Yucatan it dumped huge amounts of rain into the interior of the peninsula. Small towns in the area where Quintana Roo, Campeche and Tabasco meet were flooded badly. These are poor areas with fragile housing and there were many affected.
The State Department through its Consular Service (the nearest Consulate of size is in Mèrida) issued this advisory for residents and visitors today:
HURRICANE SEASON
This Travel Alert is being issued to alert U.S. citizens to the
Hurricane Season in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Caribbean, and
the Gulf of Mexico. The official Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from
June through November. This Travel Alert expires November 30, 2008.
National Weather Service officials at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict a 65 percent chance that
activity during the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season will be above normal
this year, forecasting 12 to 16 named storms, with 6 to 9 becoming
hurricanes. NOAA recommends that those in hurricane-prone regions begin
preparations at this time for the upcoming season.
After some storms, U.S. citizens have encountered often uncomfortable,
and sometimes dangerous, conditions that have lasted for several days
while they awaited transportation back to the United States. Many U.S.
citizens traveling abroad in affected regions have been forced to delay
their return to the United States due to infrastructure damage to
airports and limited flight availability. Damage to roads can limit
access to airports and land routes out of affected areas. Flights can
be suspended and passengers face long delays before normal airport
operations and flight schedules resume. There have also been instances
of looting and sporadic violence after natural disasters. Security
personnel may not be readily available to assist at all times.
Should a situation require an evacuation from an overseas location, the
State Department will work with commercial airlines to ensure the safest
and most efficient repatriation of U.S. citizens possible. Commercial
airlines are the Department's primary source of transportation in an
evacuation. Other means of transport are used only as a last resort.
The Department of State will not provide no-cost transportation, but
does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in
financial need. U.S. citizens should always obtain travel insurance to
cover unexpected expenses during an emergency.
U.S. citizens living in or traveling to storm-prone regions overseas
should prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms by organizing a kit
containing a supply of bottled water, non-perishable food items, a
battery-powered or hand crank radio, and vital documents (especially
passport and identification) in a waterproof container. Emergency
shelters often have access only to basic resources and limited medical
and food supplies.
U.S. citizens should monitor local radio, the National Weather Service
at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
to stay aware of any weather developments in their area. Minor tropical
storms can develop into hurricanes very quickly, limiting the time
available for a safe evacuation. Travelers should apprise family and
friends in the U.S. of their whereabouts, and keep in close contact with
their tour operator, hotel staff, and local officials for evacuation
instructions in the event of a weather emergency. Travelers should also
protect their travel and identity documents against loss or damage, as
the need to replace lost documentation could hamper or delay return to
the United States.
U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to register with the nearest U.S.
Embassy or Consulate through the Department of State's travel
registration website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/
citizens can receive the Embassy's most recent security and safety
updates during their trip.
Registration also ensures that U.S. citizens can be reached should an
emergency arise either abroad or at home. While Consular Officers will
do their utmost to assist Americans in a crisis, travelers should always
be aware that local authorities bear primary responsibility for the
welfare of people living or traveling in their jurisdictions.
Additional information on hurricanes and storm preparedness may be found
on the Hurricane Season 2008 page of the Bureau of Consular Affairs'
website at:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/hurricane_season/hurricane_seas
on_3795.html
at:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/hurricane_season/hurricane_seas
on_2915.html
regions may be obtained from the Department of State by calling
1-888-407-4747 within the United States and Canada, or from overseas,
1-202-501-4444.
Travelers to the region are encouraged to check the Internet site of the
U.S. Embassy or Consulate with consular responsibilities for the
territory they will be visiting (accessible via
http://usembassy.state.gov/
further information please consult the Country Specific Information
Sheet for the country or territory in question, available via the
Internet at http://travel.state.gov/
travel warnings
Tropical Storms
Mexico
Meteorology
Caribbean
Weather
Latin America
Travel
01 June 2008
Some Wind, Some Rain
The tropical storm is now a tropical depression. There were some winds, a lot of rain; little else.
BULLETIN
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ARTHUR ADVISORY NUMBER 5
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012008
1000 AM CDT SUN JUN 01 2008
...ARTHUR WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION...THREAT OF HEAVY RAINS
CONTINUES...
AT 10 AM CDT...1500 UTC...THE GOVERNMENTS OF BELIZE AND MEXICO HAVE
DISCONTINUED ALL WARNINGS.
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