Hurricane Jimena begins wreaking havoc in and beyond Los Cabos area

Hurricane Jimena is weakening slightly as it approaches Baja California, but it remains a Category 4 storm and though its center is 100 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, it is beginning to wreak considerable havoc there and throughout the state of Baja California Sur.

Visiting tourists -- many of them fishermen and surfers -- who chose to stay and ride out the storm are doing so indoors. Some resorts have boarded their windows. Streets are flooded, and rain is torrential at times. The Los Cabos airport was closed at last check, and flight service has been disrupted. Those with scheduled flights over the next few days are urged to consult their carrier.

"The weather is steadily deteriorating," Eric Brictson, owner of Gordo Banks Pangas in San Jose del Cabo, said Tuesday morning via e-mail. "Winds are now starting to gust out of the east and rainfall has been steady to extremely hard. Have not even been down to check the beach today, I hear that the surf is near 20 feet. We are bracing for the worse yet to come, probably this evening. I am sure there will be some heavy flood damage."

Hotel guests are certainly faring better than inland residents, particularly the poor who live in areas prone to flooding. Thousands reportedly have been evacuated to shelters.

At the East Cape north of Cabo San Lucas on the Sea of Cortez, well beyond of Jimena's projected path, hotel owners and guests are in wait-and-see mode. Gary Barnes-Webb, foreman at the Rancho Leonero Resort, said he sent some guests home before the storm made its presence felt, but about 20 guests remain.

Some even went snorkeling Tuesday morning, before the wind picked up. "We've put storm boards up on all the vulnerable places in the resort," Barnes-Webb said. "I don't anticipate anything stronger than tropical storm winds, 50-70 mph."

In La Paz, Jonathan Roldan, who owns the Tailhunter International outfitting service, spent the morning sandbagging around a restaurant he recently opened. "Now it's like sitting in a foxhole waiting and knowing the Panzer division is coming around the corner,"  he said.

Roldan said the city is anticipating extensive street flooding but, like everyone else who has been checking the National Hurricane Center's periodic reports, is hopeful the storm will pass without causing widespread damage.

Below is the latest graphic posted on the center's site, showing the projected five-day path. It looks reasonably good for those in the tourist zones along the Sea of Cortez, and not so good for those in the Magdalena Bay region, where the storm's center will make its first brush with land, and the many small communities to the north.

-- Pete Thomas

Photos: Building waves in front of the Cabo Pacifica Hotel (top), and a flooded downtown Cabo San Lucas street. Images were captured at about 11 a.m. today. Credit: Glenn Ehrenberg

Comments

[Stevia Wilson Shaw]

We live in Santa Rosalia. People here are saying this is the worst storm in 50 years. Lots of mud and rocks down on Hwy 1 at intersection with Av. Constitucion (round about with train on it for those familiar with town) all the way up to the plaza. Many streets not passable. All low lying homes and businesses filled with mud, some washed away. Bridge into town south (San Luciano) out in two places and highway diminished to one lane just past El Morro hotel. Road into town north huge chunk of highway out by squid factory. Talked to some people in a 4x4 camper who had just driven up from Loreto, road out in places, the worst was at San Luciano. The storm pretty much sat on us for 10 hours, moved east and now is back again as a lot of rain. We think the road from here to TJ passable with a 4X4. Electricity slowly coming back on, no water yet. Baja Bush Pilots working with Red Cross to provide relief support. More on my blog at missywah.blogspot.com

[Californian]

I pray your beautiful city is spared too much damage. We are thinking of you!

[Debi Jasso]

Any roads open for those in the rural areas? Concerned.
Family. Send me some sites to investigate this further.
Thank you, I'm still searching
Debi Jasso

Any info on those in Mulege, Punta Chivato and Santa Rosalia?

[Debi Jasso]

I'm concerned about my family Mom: Dee Jasso and Lou Razo who live in Punta Chivato. Baja California. This point is just north of Mulege. I've been unable to get in contact with them or any neighbors. I'm also concerned about Mulege!! They have just started to recover from the Hurricane 2006/

Any suggestions on how to get a hold of the residents and please give more information on the areas of BAJA in the areas around Mulege, Loreto and Santa Rosalia.

Thank You
Deborah Jasso

[Penny]

Most of the resorts built along the beaches can withstand the heavy rain and winds. This may be why they were encouraging tourists to stay. The mass exodus of people are the locals who live in shanty towns or very low areas prone to flooding. I have sat through many storms in Mexico. It's a bit surreal when you see the waves and the wind. However, if you follow the safety guidlines given by the staff of the resort you will be just fine.

[JoAnn Vetro]

God bless everyone! I love Cabo and the residents try to stay safe!!

[david]

my parents are in los cabos vacationing i hope they are alright along with everyone else in the area

[Heatherxp]

My boyfriend and I were at the very same hotel you show in the first picture just yesterday. The staff at the Pueblo Bonito Pacifica were telling us that they get this "all the time and there will just be a little rain on Tuesday." We thought otherwise and got one of the last flights out. We have lots of photos from our 2-hour trek to the airport yesterday afternoon(normally it takes no more than 45 minutes). The main road was already starting to flood then and it had barely begun raining. The locals were boarding up and leaving en mass while the resorts told the tourists to stay. I hope everyone gets out o.k.

[Michael Bedar]

I went to the School for Field Studies in the Magdalena Bay area 11 years ago. It is a delightful community, open to everyone. In fact, a tropical storm struck us that summer. To rescue us while we were studying ocean-wetland life, the fisherman villagers took their pickup trucks up through the muddied mountains and brought us to shelter. I send my prayers for a safe passage of the storm over the area, bringing the good natural elements of rain and tidal churning, with all the residents and their essential property safe and sound.

[soy_cansado]

The hurricane is terrible right now, the power is going in and out, I am scared, it sounds like my house is going to tear apart :(

[nikki]

For all of you in Baj California, I hope that you remain safe and sound. I garentee you that you and all of your family and friends will be okay.