Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Locals use ziplines to cross Mexico's flooded roads (1:12) Sept. 17 - A three-day downpour in Mexico trapped many locals in their homes and stranded nearly 40,000 visitors in the resort town of Acapulco. Deborah Gembara reports. ( Transcript )
In Mexico, the roads have turned into rivers and locals are acting accordingly --- using jet skis in the resort town of Acapulco and swimming to freedom in Chilpancingo. A three-day downpour is being blamed for some of the worst storm damage in Mexico in decades. At least 50 people have been killed since flooding began and waist-high water has trapped some 40,000 visitors in Acapulco. Many have taken shelter at the airport. In the hard hit state of Guerrero, it takes courage to cross the road as well as ropes and ziplines. The raging waters are the result of two storms, Ingrid and Manuel converging and drenching nearly 2/3rds of the country. Digging out in Veracruz state after a landslide buried two homes and a bus. Rescue workers inspected the soil searching for bodies of the 12 people killed here. Mexican officials say the storms made for one of the worst natural disasters in the country's history.
Chaos as floods submerge Mexico's Acapulco, death toll rises By Alberto Fajardo and Luis Enrique Martinez ACAPULCO, Mexico | Tue Sep 17, 2013 7:37pm EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/17/us-storm-ingrid-idUSBRE98D0AH20130917
Chaos as floods submerge Mexico's Acapulco, death toll rises
ACAPULCO, Mexico |
(Reuters) - Mexico's famous beach resort of Acapulco was in chaos on Tuesday as hotels rationed food for thousands of stranded tourists and floodwaters swallowed homes and cars after some of the most damaging storms in decades killed at least 55 people across the country.
Television footage showed Acapulco's international airport terminal waist deep in water and workers wading out to escape floods that have prevented some 40,000 visitors from leaving and blocked one of the main access routes to the city with mud.
A torrential, three-day downpour cut off several roads into the Pacific resort of 750,000 people, which was a magnet for Hollywood stars in its heyday, but had the highest murder rate in Mexico last year amid a surge in drug gang violence.
The flooding has disrupted deliveries of supplies, piling fresh misery on a city heavily dependent on tourist spending. The entrance to a main hillside tunnel into Acapulco was completely blocked with mud.
The rains were spawned by two major storms that converged on Mexico from the Pacific and the Gulf, triggering flash floods that washed away homes and landslides in eastern Mexico.
Tropical Depression Manuel had faded but was strengthening again on the Pacific coast on Tuesday, moving northwest toward the Baja California peninsula. It was expected to become a Tropical Storm again late on Tuesday or early Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Much of Acapulco's upscale Diamante district was flooded, and tourists were unable to take cash out of bank machines due to lack of power. Fast food outlets were also without power, and insisted on payment in cash.
"I had to go to a pawn shop to leave some jewelry to get money to be able to eat and pay for accommodation," said Cristina Dominguez Navarro, who rented an apartment in Acapulco with her family.
"We came with just enough money for three days and now we have been here for five," she said. "I don't know what we'll do if they don't open the motorway soon."
Some large hotels offered stranded guests a free night of accommodation. But conditions were tough.
"They've started to ration food here," said Pedro de la Torre, a 53-year-old graphic designer from Mexico City who was stranded in a hotel in Acapulco. "People are starting to get annoyed. I lost two cars, total write-offs."
Outside the hotel, guests waded to their waterlogged vehicles in the hope of recovering whatever they could.
Since the weekend, the rains have killed at least 55 people in the states of Veracruz, Guerrero, Puebla, Hidalgo, Michoacan and Oaxaca, according to regional emergency services.
Guerrero, which is home to Acapulco, was the hardest hit with at least 34 people killed in the state, emergency services said. Some streets in the state capital if Chilpancingo became rivers of mud and its mayor, Mario Moreno, said the city had "collapsed."
"The panorama is one of devastation," said Alejandro Hernandez, a 40-year-old landscape gardener on vacation from Mexico City, holed up in an Acapulco hotel with his wife and 3-year-old daughter.
"The hotel is no longer functioning as a business. The staff is starting to leave. They have closed the front desk, switched off the computers," he said. "All they have done is caused panic by saying they are going to start rationing, turn off power and cut water."
Hundreds of people lined up outside supermarkets in Acapulco waiting to buy food. Store shelves were empty in some other areas of Guerrero state as residents stocked up and town mayors called on the government to send emergency supplies.
THOUSANDS STRANDED
President Enrique Pena Nieto said via Twitter he had ordered a "house by house" census in Guerrero and told the federal transport ministry to establish an air bridge to Mexico City.
Officials had considered using the airfield in nearby Pie de la Cuesta to restart flights but airline officials said services started to resume from the city's airport after rains abated.
The chaos began late last week when tropical storms Ingrid and Manuel converged from the Atlantic and the Pacific, drenching Mexico in massive rainfall that has hit around two thirds of the country, according to the interior ministry.
Though both of the storms have dissipated, rain is still falling in much of country and more than 1 million people have so far been affected by flooding.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said rain caused by the remnants of Ingrid could still produce life-threatening floods and mud slides in a large part of eastern Mexico.
Landslides have buried homes and a bus in the eastern state of Veracruz. Thousands were evacuated from flooded areas, some by helicopter, and taken to shelters.
State oil monopoly Pemex evacuated three oil platforms and halted drilling at some wells. A spokesman for the company said output and exports had not been affected.
The rain has caused more than 5 billion pesos ($387 million) in damage in the state of Guerrero, the local government said.
($1 = 12.92 Mexican pesos)
(Additional reporting by Simon Gardner, Anahi Rama and Ana Isabel Martinez.; Writing by Dave Graham; editing by Kieran Murray and Christopher Wilson)
Mexico storms leave dozens dead and tourists stranded Hurricane Ingrid and tropical storm Manuel result in blocked roads, landslides and 60,000 tourists being stranded in Acapulco
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/17/two-storms-mexico-deaths-tourists-stranded
Mexico storms leave dozens dead and tourists stranded
Hurricane Ingrid and tropical storm Manuel result in blocked roads, landslides and 60,000 tourists being stranded in Acapulco
Rescue workers and inhabitants took part in rescue operations after a landslide in Altotonga, Veracruz. Photograph: EPA
Two storms rolling into Mexico from two opposite fronts have hit the central American country almost simultaneously with catastrophic consequences, leaving dozens dead, roads blocked and rivers flooded across the country, as well as tens of thousands of tourists stranded in the resort city of Acapulco.
With the airport closed and the main roads out of the city blocked by landslides, as many as 60,000 tourists were reportedly stranded in the resort with plans to begin airlifting them from a nearby army base reportedly in formation.
"It has been very difficult, because all means of access have been cut off," emergency services co-ordinator Puente said.
Hurricane Ingrid moved in from the Atlantic to hit central and north-eastern Mexico with significant strength on Monday, at about the same time as tropical storm Manuel drew heavy rains from the Pacific across a broad sweep of states along the west coast.
With both systems weakened, but still active, meteorologists are forecasting more heavy rains with the possibility of more named storms forming in the next few days.
The federal government's head of emergency services, Luis Felipe Puente, reported a death toll of 38 on Tuesday, but this number looks set to rise as the full extent of the destruction becomes clear.
The worst affected state appears to be Guerrero, which has suffered extensive damage in the small towns and villages along its extensive coastline and mountain ranges as well as in its tourist hot spot Acapulco, which has sustained serious floods and landslides.
"When I got home I saw a lot of strangers with picks and shovels digging where my house used to be," Natividad Gallegos, who said she lost her two children and four other members of her family in the storm, told the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Gulf Coast states are also struggling to managed multiple emergencies caused by hurricane Ingrid, reportedly particularly acute in the state of Veracruz.
State authorities have reported that 12 people died in a single incident in which a landslide smashed into a bus on a road close to the state capital.
Alberto Hernandez, of the national weather centre, told MVS Radio on Tuesday this was the first time that two named storms had hit the country at the same time since 1958. He said Manuel and Ingrid had become exceptionally destructive as they had combined forces to form one large slow-moving new system that has spread across the country.
Hernandez forecast more heavy rain and noted that the remnants of Manuel are regaining strength in the north-west and could develop into a new storm. There is also a new system in the south-east off the coast of the Yucatán peninsula that is also threatening to develop into a named tropical storm on Wednesday as it heads north-west.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Want to have a great (and cheap) time in Cancun without doing the all-inclusive thing? AUG 24 Posted by TC
Want to have a great (and cheap) time in Cancun without doing the all-inclusive thing?
How to Drive in Mexico: Get to Puerto Escondido and Vivo!
How to Drive in Mexico: Get to Puerto Escondido and Vivo!
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Making your way to Puerto Escondido and Vivo Resorts is half the fun of being there! Mexico is a country of striking landscapes and breathtaking natural beauty, and driving is one of the best ways to enjoy it. However, driving in Mexico may take some getting used to if you've never operated a vehicle outside Canada or the United States, as the driving culture is quite a bit different than what you might be used to. Be aware of some major differences in driving and auto insurance laws that may come into play during your journey.Understanding the Local Highway Infrastructure
Right now, construction of a major new highway is underway in Oaxaca. Known as the Puerto Escondido-Oaxaca highway, the project is nearing completion and will make getting to Puerto Escondido easier than ever before. If you're thinking about investing in Oaxaca or Puerto Escondido real estate, the highway project may turn out to be a boon to your bottom line. It is expected to stimulate a great deal of economic growth in the region, which should also trigger significant appreciation in local real estate values. Given that Puerto Escondido is already experiencing double-digit year-over-year increases in property values, there is no telling just how high the market could climb once the highway is complete.
In the meantime, you can use several other existing, albeit more scenic, routes to get to Puerto Escondido:
In the meantime, you can use several other existing, albeit more scenic, routes to get to Puerto Escondido:
- Highway 190. While this is not the most direct route to Puerto Escondido, many believe it is the easiest to navigate. If you don't mind a little sightseeing along the way, Highway 190 leads through Huatulco and Salina Cruz, both of which are well worth a visit.
- Highway 175 & Highway 200. Taking Highway 175 through Pochutla, then continuing north on Highway 200 to Oaxaca is a relatively easy drive and is more direct than taking Highway 190. This route also offers a number of interesting vistas and is a relatively easy drive.
- Highway 131. This is the most direct route between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido, but you should be aware that road conditions are not the best and that the highway runs through mountainous terrain. While the highland views are impressive, you are also at heightened risk of encountering landslides, especially during the rainy season. If you choose to take this route, always be mindful of weather and road conditions.
Driving in Mexico: Practical Information and Tips
Generally speaking, drivers in Mexico and other Latin American countries are more aggressive and have a looser interpretation of the rules of the road. Here are some practical tips and pointers to keep in mind:- Drivers tend to be very aggressive, and may not always use turn signals
- Always try to anticipate what others around you are going to do
- Do not turn left out of a parking lot; instead, always turn right and go around the block
- Avoid driving on Mexican highways at night if you're not comfortable with nighttime driving
- Expect a high volume of commercial traffic on Mexican highways
- A two-lane highway with paved shoulders is usually used as a four-lane highway; pull onto the shoulder to let passing drivers get past you
- Try to drive at the speed of the traffic around you; if you want to go slower, keep right
Combine caution with vigilance until you get used to driving in Mexico. It may take a period of adjustment at first, but within a few days, you should feel right at home on the roadways.
Bringing Your Vehicle into Mexico
Bringing Your Vehicle into Mexico
First and most importantly, make sure that you have valid and current auto insurance coverage while driving in Mexico. If you are involved in an accident and you do not have proper insurance, you are subject to imprisonment if injury or property damage was caused. Check with your auto insurance provider to see if your present coverage will carry over to Mexico; if it won't, purchase additional coverage prior to your departure.
Your current and valid U.S. or Canadian driver's license is all you need to drive in Mexico, but you must be absolutely certain that it will not expire while you are away. You'll encounter problems with the authorities if you attempt to drive on an expired or invalid license. Also, you should always keep a copy of your passport in your vehicle with you as a secondary form of identification.
Vivo Resorts is a leading developer of Mexico beachfront real estate in the Puerto Escondido area. We're here to make your transition to Mexican life smooth and easy. If you have any questions about driving in Mexico, or if you'd like to learn more about how to get here by car, please don't hesitate to contact a Vivo customer service representative.
Your current and valid U.S. or Canadian driver's license is all you need to drive in Mexico, but you must be absolutely certain that it will not expire while you are away. You'll encounter problems with the authorities if you attempt to drive on an expired or invalid license. Also, you should always keep a copy of your passport in your vehicle with you as a secondary form of identification.
Vivo Resorts is a leading developer of Mexico beachfront real estate in the Puerto Escondido area. We're here to make your transition to Mexican life smooth and easy. If you have any questions about driving in Mexico, or if you'd like to learn more about how to get here by car, please don't hesitate to contact a Vivo customer service representative.
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