Hurricane Rina Projected Path: Expected to Hit Cancun Late Thursday
Hurricane Rina has weakened to a tropical storm Thursday after resorts in Cancun and other Caribbean areas were evacuated for what some thought would be a category 3 hurricane.
Rina is expected to hit Cancun, Cozumel and Riviera Maya late Thursday or early Friday before turning back to sea.
Thousands of tourists have fled vacation spots in Mexico to get away from low lying areas. Residents have also moved away from the area.
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The storm has put a damper on a lot of people's getaways.
"We would prefer to lie on the beach and get in the ocean, but right now all we can do is walk around and go shopping," said Vera Kohler, a tourist from Germany. She arrived in Playa Del Carmen on Wednesday and was supposed to stay in the area until Sunday.
Some aren't taking any chances and have already left the area.
"At the hotel, they told us they would make a decision whether to evacuate later today, but we didn't want to wait. We would rather be home when it hits," said Tourist Janet Gallo.
Rina's highest winds on Thursday were recorded at 75 mph, down from 115 mph on Wednesday.
Despite news of the storm weakening, authorities are still taking precautions.
Around 2,300 people were evacuated out of Holbox, an island in the storm’s path. The government shut down sites located near the coast and schools were closed in communities projected to be hit.
Juan Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, the state's tourism director, approximated that 10,000 tourists had left by Wednesday night. A majority of flights out of Cancun were canceled on Thursday.
At least eight cruise ships have changed course away from the storm, according to a Carnival Cruise Line spokesman.
Mexico's government intends to send almost 2,400 electrical workers along with cranes, vehicles and generators to deal with the storm.
