Hurricane Rina Projected Path: Storm Weakens, But Still Dangerous
Hurricane Rina has been reduced to a still dangerous Category one hurricane, as tourist crowd Cancun’s airport to depart to safer terrain.
Rina has been moving toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, and even though the storm will pack less of a punch than previously expected, it will still be a dangerous storm with 16 inches of rain expected, 85 miles per hour winds and tides as high as two to four feet, according to meteorologists.
The hurricane was blowing top winds of 110 mph earlier Wednesday.
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Category one hurricanes can still be tremendously hazardous due to coastal storm surges and extreme flooding. They can also cause power outages.
The Mexican government is preparing to send nearly 2,400 electrical workers plus needed equipment to maintain and repair any service interrupted or lost during the storm, according to The Associated Press.
A hurricane warning has been announced for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from north of Punta Gruesa to Cancun.
The projected path of Hurricane Rina indicates that it is bearing east toward Cuba and the Straits of Florida, and is expected to arrive in those regions possibly by the weekend. Still, it is difficult to anticipate with total certainty the movement of such dynamic storms.
State officials said there were about 83,000 tourists in Mexico, with at least half of those on a length of coast south of Cancun that includes Tulum and Playa de Carmen, and almost 28,000 in Cancun
According to the Los Angeles Times, airlines are "concerned about delays and possible cancellation of flights because of the hurricane. Many eased their change fee rules Tuesday to allow passengers to change their travel plans. If you are flying in or out of any affected areas, contact your airline by phone or via the website to make changes."
A number of cruise ships have changed travel paths due to concern of being impeded by the hurricane, according to officials.
