Hurricane Rina Projected Path: Set to Slam Mexican Coast Today
Hurricane Rina will slam the Caribbean cost of Mexico and the island of Cozumel today, forcing an immediate evacuation of Cancun.
Rina's winds are averaging about 110 mph, qualifying the hurricane as a Category 2 storm. However, there is a possibility the storm will weaken in the next day or so, according to the United States National Hurricane Center in Miami.
According to State Tourism Director Juan Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, there are about 83000 tourists in Mexico, with Cancun alone having 28000 of these tourists.
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State officials said the area was prepared with 1100 shelters that could handle about 200000 people. The hurricane, about 200 miles away, is steadily moving northwest at 5 mph, said the Hurricane Center.
Punta Allen, a fishing town, sent their residents to emergency shelters, while cruise ships in the area also changed courses to escape the path of Rina and incoming storm surges.
"I am not really scared," said Luh mcDevitt, 56, a native of Cozumel. “Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was a Category 5. The worst part of the hurricane is after. We didn't have electric in our house for three weeks."
Gonzalez said there were close to 2000 people in Cozumel: "In the case of Cozumel, which could be hit hardest, people are leaving of their own accord and are cutting their reservations short."
A warning is in effect for the northeast portion of the Yucatan Peninsula. The south of the peninsula has also issued a tropical storm warning.
Cancun, and the surrounding area, was severely hit by Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The hurricane caused an estimated $3 billion in damages.
