After Hurricane Odile battered resorts across Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, vacationers were left stranded and isolated while waiting for evacuations while yet another hurricane could bring disruptive impacts to the area by the weekend.
Odile tied the record for the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Baja California Sur during the satellite era, with Hurricane Olivia in 1967. The storm’s powerful winds and destructive rain pummeled area resorts and local infrastructure, forcing guests out of their hotels and waiting for rescue.
The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs alerted U.S. citizen travelers that the Mexican government will be conducting military evacuations out of Cabo San Lucas International Airport, Los Cabos Airport and the La Paz Airport. Additionally, some commercial airlines have been operating limited flights out of the region.
Pressure to evacuate visitors in a timely manor has increased due to the potential second hurricane threat that could bring fringe effects to the same area.
Polo, having reached hurricane status Wednesday night, could hinder recovery efforts as it is poised to brush the area over the weekend.
“While the heaviest rain and strongest winds from Polo will remain off shore, showers and thunderstorms this weekend can produce gusty winds and localized intense rainfall that could further delay the restoration of power and other utilities to the area,” Eric Leister, AccuWeather.com meteorologist, said.
As travelers wait to be taken to safety, connecting with relatives and loved ones has proven difficult due to the sparse cell phone reception and downed power lines.
The Mexican power commission, La Comisiรณn Federal de Electricidad, reported that nearly 85 percent of area customers were affected by Odile. Over 13 million reportedly lost power over the course of the storm.
Without working phone lines and Internet connections, families and friends have taken to social media in efforts to find loved ones who were staying in area resorts when Odile hit.