BajaNomad - Tropical Depression Paul

Tropical Depression Paul

Frigatebird - 10-21-2006 at 11:25 AM

Hey Paul,

In pace requiescat!!!

[Edited on 10-25-2006 by Frigatebird]

Paul.gif - 21kB

El Jefe - 10-21-2006 at 12:02 PM

Well, it was about time to get the bed off the roof anyway. A bit or rain now would keep our desert green for a while yet.

Set to leave tom

Cyclops_II - 10-21-2006 at 12:26 PM

We are set to leave for MagBay tomorow... I hope this stays small or does not turn... what does everyone think?

Steve

Bruce R Leech - 10-21-2006 at 12:26 PM

I'm getting tired of looking at those things :mad:

Still early, but.............

bajajudy - 10-21-2006 at 01:46 PM

000
WTPZ42 KNHC 212030
TCDEP2
TROPICAL STORM PAUL DISCUSSION NUMBER 3
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP172006
200 PM PDT SAT OCT 21 2006

PAUL IS CURRENTLY ON A STRENGTHENING TREND GIVEN THE EVOLUTION OF
THE CLOUD PATTERN DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS. ALTHOUGH THE
CENTER IS STILL PARTIALLY EXPOSED IT IS GRADUALLY BECOMING MORE
EMBEDDED WITHIN THE CONVECTION. T-NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED TO 3.0 ON
THE DVORAK SCALE SO THE INITIAL INTENSITY HAS BEEN ADJUSTED UPWARD
TO 45 KNOTS. THE INTENSITY FORECAST IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN. THE
RELIABLE GFDL MODEL MAKES PAUL A POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH 104 KNOTS
IN ABOUT 4 DAYS...JUST BEFORE LANDFALL ON THE WEST COAST OF MEXICO.
ON THE OTHER HAND...MOST OF THE GLOBAL MODELS...ALSO RELIABLE...
WEAKEN OR DISSIPATE THE SYSTEM IN ABOUT 48 TO 72 HOURS AS PAUL
INTERACTS WITH AN UPPER TROUGH AND SHEAR INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY.
THE OFFICIAL FORECAST MEETS HALFWAY AND CALLS FOR ADDITIONAL
STRENGTHENING BUT ONLY TO A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE.

PAUL HAS SLOWED DOWN AND IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE WEST OR 280
DEGREES AT ABOUT 6 KNOTS. THE CYCLONE SHOULD REACH THE WESTERN EDGE
OF THE RIDGE AND TURN GRADUALLY TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND NORTHWARD
IN ABOUT 2 DAYS. THEREAFTER...PAUL SHOULD ACCELERATE
NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD EXTREME SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA AND
MAINLAND MEXICO EMBEDDED WITHIN THE FLOW AHEAD OF A STRONG
APPROACHING MID-LEVEL TROUGH. THIS FORECAST IS BASED ON A FEW
MODELS ONLY...SINCE THE UKMET AND GFS MODELS LOSE THE CIRCULATION
MUCH EARLIER.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INITIAL 21/2100Z 16.1N 107.4W 45 KT
12HR VT 22/0600Z 16.2N 108.4W 50 KT
24HR VT 22/1800Z 16.6N 109.7W 55 KT
36HR VT 23/0600Z 17.5N 110.7W 60 KT
48HR VT 23/1800Z 18.5N 111.0W 65 KT
72HR VT 24/1800Z 23.0N 109.0W 65 KT
96HR VT 25/1800Z 28.0N 105.5W 20 KT...INLAND REMNANT LOW
120HR VT 26/1800Z...DISSIPATED

$$

Bruce R Leech - 10-22-2006 at 05:57 AM

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_ep2+shtml/110226.sh...

Early Forecasts

MrBillM - 10-22-2006 at 08:58 AM

Given the track record of NOAA regarding Early Forecasts of Hurricane tracks in the Pacific, especially when they involve a radical course turn, I'll believe it when it happens.

JESSE - 10-22-2006 at 09:31 AM

Looks like the times of 60 pesos a kilo of Tomatoes might be ahead.

Marie-Rose - 10-22-2006 at 01:38 PM

Cloudy and very humid in Todos Santos! 88 degrees on the shade of the deck!!

Bob H - 10-22-2006 at 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cyclops_II
We are set to leave for MagBay tomorow... I hope this stays small or does not turn... what does everyone think?

Steve

I really don't think it matters what anyone thinks... it's gonna do what it's gonna do - not matter what. Just keep an eye on it and get out if it comes your way... Bob H

Hopes and Prayers

MrBillM - 10-22-2006 at 04:02 PM

I guess that you could get together with Skeet and pray for divine intervention. That's always worked well in the past. Or so I've heard.

Frigatebird - 10-22-2006 at 05:30 PM

Spinning down late Tuesday, but still full of rain.

The Cape Region is just right of the top center of the image.

[Edited on 10-25-2006 by Frigatebird]

Pol5.jpg - 42kB

chino - 10-22-2006 at 06:21 PM

Send some of that water to Nor Cal!, still dry here.

longlegsinlapaz - 10-22-2006 at 07:45 PM

......is now HURRICANE Paul & there's currently a hurricane watch in effect from Cabo to La Paz!

Obviously nobody told Mother Nature hurricane season was supposed to have ended a couple weeks ago!

Hook - 10-22-2006 at 07:56 PM

Hurricane season doesn't end, technically, until Nov. 1.

More technically,

Frigatebird - 10-22-2006 at 08:06 PM

the East Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30.

BajaNews - 10-23-2006 at 06:13 AM

HURRICANE PAUL INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 9A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP172006
500 AM PDT MON OCT 23 2006

...PAUL TURNING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST...

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA
PENINSULA FROM AGUA BLANCA SOUTHWARD ON THE WEST COAST...AND FROM
LA PAZ SOUTHWARD ON THE EAST COAST. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY
WITHIN 36 HOURS. ADDITIONAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED
LATER TODAY.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 500 AM PDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PAUL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 16.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 111.5 WEST OR ABOUT 400 MILES
...645 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN LUCAS MEXICO.

PAUL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/HR. A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE NORTH WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED
LATER TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...160 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. PAUL IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN STRENGTH IS POSSIBLE DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES...35 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115
MILES...185 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 973 MB...28.73 INCHES.

REPEATING THE 500 AM PDT POSITION...16.4 N...111.5 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...100
MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...973 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
800 AM PDT.

124726W_sm.gif - 15kB

UPDATE:Hurricane Paul strengthens, threatens southern Baja California

SUNDOG - 10-23-2006 at 09:12 AM

Hurricane Paul strengthens, threatens southern Baja California

ASSOCIATED PRESS

8:23 a.m. October 23, 2006

Associated Press
This NOAA satellite image taken Sunday shows Hurricane Paul.
MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Paul neared Category 3 status Monday with winds as high as 110 mph as it began curving toward the Baja California peninsula.
Paul was moving northwest at about 5 mph. Forecasters predicted it would strengthen further and could hit Mexico's Pacific coast in the next few days.

A hurricane watch was issued for the southern tip of Baja California, a resort area that has been battered by two other hurricanes this season.

The storm was on a course that would bring it just south of the peninsula late Tuesday before plowing into Mexico's Pacific coast near the resort of Mazatlan.

At 11 a.m. EDT, the storm was about 455 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas, known for deep-sea fishing and upscale hotels popular with Hollywood's elite. It had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, just one short of becoming a Category 3 storm.
Mexico was struck by two Pacific hurricanes last month. Hurricane John battered Baja California, killing five people and destroying 160 homes, while Hurricane Lane hit the resort town of Mazatlan, causing relatively minor damage.

shari - 10-23-2006 at 10:34 AM

Wow, guess what? It is actually raining in Bahia Asuncion for the first time in a couple years!!! OOOps it just stopped...but looks like we may get a little more. Hope Paul gets back on his northeasern track and slips by the baja.

Bruce R Leech - 10-23-2006 at 11:15 AM

hard rain in Mulege and Santa Rosalia. electricity out most of the morning.

Al G - 10-23-2006 at 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
hard rain in Mulege and Santa Rosalia. electricity out most of the morning.

Bruce please keep us posted on the wind and rain. There is no way to know which way it will turn and I hope the people there, are aware, and are getting ready.

vandenberg - 10-23-2006 at 01:31 PM

Little windy in Loreto. Funny that Mulege and Santa Rosalia got rain while it somehow bypassed us altogether. Never was even a threat of rain.
Could still use some. Has been an awfull dry summer till John.
A few hours of drenching rain would be nice and also would keep the dust down here in Nopolo, Loreto Bay. And keep the desert nice and green for another month or so. :saint:

Taco de Baja - 10-23-2006 at 01:48 PM

Interesting they are predicting it to make a 90 degree turn....I somehow think it will keep up its westerly track....Maybe they are just covering thier butts since they missed the boat on Paul.

Must be nice to be a weatherman; you can be wrong ALL the time and still get to keep your job :rolleyes:

{edit 10/25 @ 7:00 am} wow this time they knew what they were talking about...

[Edited on 10-25-2006 by Taco de Baja]

comitan - 10-23-2006 at 01:55 PM

The latest.Hurricane Paul Discussion Number 11

Statement as of 2:00 PM PDT on October 23, 2006

based on Air Force reconnaissance data and recent degradation of the
satellite presentation...Paul probably reached its maximum
intensity earlier today and is now weakening. Maximum flight level
winds from the aircraft were 88 kt in the northeast quadrant...so
the initial intensity is set at 80 kt. It would appear that the
increasing vertical shear and dry air are beginning to take their
toll...and since the shear is forecast to continue to increase...
additional weakening is anticipated. The GFDL model continues to
show strengthening taking Paul to a category 3 cyclone within the
next 24 hours. However...in light of the current weakening and
expected increase in shear...the official forecast is closer to the
SHIPS and FSU super ensemble. Once inland over mountainous
Mexico...rapid weakening is expected.

The track forecast remains rather problematic as global
models indicate Paul is now interacting with a large
middle to upper-level trough off the West Coast of California.
This interaction has resulted in a turn toward the north with
the initial motion estimate of 360/4. Paul should begin to
accelerate northeastward later today and tonight as it becomes
embedded within strong southwesterly flow on the eastern side of
the trough. Dynamical models remain divergent in the predicted
forward speed. Not surprisingly...the GFDL is the fastest of the
available dynamical models as it maintains a strong and deep vortex
until landfall. Conversely...the global models show a much weaker
and shallower cyclone resulting in a slower motion. The official
forecast will split the difference between the faster GFDL and the
slower global models...which equates to only a slight adjustment to
the previous advisory.

It is important not to focus on the exact forecast track of
Paul...particularly for residents of southern baja...as a hurricane
is not a point and associated weather extends well beyond the
center. Additionally...only a slight deviation to the left of the
forecast track could bring Paul closer to that area.

Forecast positions and Max winds

spike - 10-23-2006 at 01:58 PM

What we do know about weather prediction, seems to be about 10 % of the complete picture. Better to just look out the window, sometimes!
spike

comitan - 10-23-2006 at 03:31 PM

It is raining in La Paz, with much thunder.

spike - 10-23-2006 at 04:06 PM

With luck, Paul will just peter oy and that will be as bad as it gets.
Spike

El Jefe - 10-23-2006 at 04:07 PM

Not a drop of rain yet out the east cape road from San Jose. We are all stocked up and await what nature sends us. I'll file reports as things change. Right now the sun is peeking around some clouds. Warm with light winds, almost calm.

spike - 10-23-2006 at 04:07 PM

I guess I meant peter out. Got to check that spelling
Spike

gnukid - 10-23-2006 at 04:19 PM

In La paz there is a lot of rain suddenly and 3-4 inches of flooding for those us near the water at marina la paz, the thunder is strong and lots of fun. We are checking the boats and tying em up with double lines and making soup! cuidar tus familias y amantes wooopeee

toneart - 10-23-2006 at 05:26 PM

Any word from Mulege? Still raining hard? How's things along the river?

El Jefe - 10-23-2006 at 06:21 PM

Just got our first squall here on the east cape road. One tenth of an inch of rain and everything smells good. We could see it coming from the south over the ocean for a couple of miles. Then glorious rain, just enough to not cause runoff. If only it would do this for a few days and nothing more......

Bruce R Leech - 10-23-2006 at 06:53 PM

Mulege is broken Skye's and breezy right now.

no it takes a lot of rain to bring the river up and we have only had some nice showers.

Russ - 10-24-2006 at 04:47 AM

Rained most/all night but only a breeze to push it. A lot like Wash. I like it but I hope the mulege are doesn't get too much. hope it stops around daylight.

Bob H - 10-24-2006 at 06:37 AM

Hurricane Paul Peters Out... good news for Southern Baja!
Bob H

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/10/24/paul.ap/index.html

Bruce R Leech - 10-24-2006 at 06:37 AM

it rained all night and still raining steady here in Mulege things are going to stay green for a while.

comitan - 10-24-2006 at 07:55 AM

Bye Bye Paul.

Petering

MrBillM - 10-24-2006 at 08:16 AM

If not a record, the rate at which "Paul" intensified and dissipated, is probably close. RIP.

Paula - 10-24-2006 at 08:19 AM

A little more rain than I was hoping for here in Loreto this morning :fire:

Loreto

tehag - 10-24-2006 at 09:03 AM

Rain all night, not heavy. Pretty heavy right now, 10am. Arroyos will probably run. Drive with care.

baja829 - 10-24-2006 at 10:58 AM

Light rain all night in Campos, South of San Felipe - first time in over a year! It's wonderful, but we need a lot more. I know, be careful for what you wish for! The desert is bright green, smells so good and skys are clearing. BUT, from above messages, there's more to come.

Cypress - 10-24-2006 at 11:11 AM

Pacific Hurricanes vs Atlantic Hurricanes? Looks like the Pacific storms are smaller in size. :?:

They don't impact as large an area as the Atlantic storms.

Guess that's relative, if you're in the eye of the storm, splitting hairs about one or the other is the last thing on your mind.

Heavy Down Pour in San Juanico

Juan del Rio - 10-24-2006 at 12:07 PM

Heard this morning that it was an extremely heavy downpour early in San Juanico like you'd experience in Hawaii or Fiji. Initial reports indicate some roads washed out. From my experience with Tropical Storm Juan last month, the local’s get the roads open pretty quickly.

Russ - 10-24-2006 at 01:21 PM

Just heard that the Punta Chivato road is again closed at the estaury. Closed after the rains. Passable this morning but water is flowing thru there now and erroided more of what was just repaired. One 4x4 made it thru but with damage.

Bahia de Los Angeles

Paulina - 10-24-2006 at 04:15 PM

Taken from an email I received this morning "......You missed one hell of a rainstorm yesterday, it flooded the whole town, the tacate store, the taco stand, the telephone store, the road to the office (Diaz) and the road thru town.
A friend of mine measured 3 inches at his house but I heard it rained harder in town. I/m still drying out my house from the leaks in the roof and it isnt even 1 year old...."

Hook - 10-24-2006 at 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Russ
Just heard that the Punta Chivato road is again closed at the estaury. Closed after the rains. Passable this morning but water is flowing thru there now and erroided more of what was just repaired. One 4x4 made it thru but with damage.

Hey, Russ, do locals use the old road out there that completely bypassed the estero? Or is it in too bad of shape?

comitan - 10-24-2006 at 04:50 PM

From the satellite picture it looks like La Paz is going to get some serious rain tonight.

Russ - 10-24-2006 at 06:36 PM

Chivato road update: A few brave trucks are making it thru now. The water is receiding a bit now. Hopefully by the morning it will be down enough to get some work done on it.
Hook, John really wiped the old road out. John did more road damage than any storm in the 15 years I've been here.

We pay some pretty nice taxes. Wonder where it goes? No water, phone, power, road :no:

Russ - 10-24-2006 at 06:37 PM

Wouldn't trade it for any other place!

[Edited on 10-25-2006 by Russ]

Taxes

Bajachief - 10-24-2006 at 06:52 PM

Kinda like how many "taxes" are paid by the mexicans living inb the U.S.

Rain in San Felipe

MrBillM - 10-24-2006 at 08:25 PM

The miniscule rain in the San Felipe area was NOT from "Paul", but rather from the Upper Level low-pressure area that was forecast to "Steer" Paul towards the Mainland. It was pleasant, though.

I forecast rain because earlier in the day I had gotten out the Pressure Washer and cleaned off my solar panels. After that, we watered the trees and plants. Just as well. The rain didn't provide much irrigation.

Bruce R Leech - 10-24-2006 at 08:28 PM

HY 1 is closed south of Mulege. they don't know when it will open.

renegademike - 10-24-2006 at 11:13 PM

Cabo Report 12:am local time: Its been raining pretty steady for the past 3 to 4 hrs. not raining real hard tough, just a nice steady rain. By the looks of the water vapor charts on the Central pacific hurricane center satellite imagery the rain should pick up in intensity. http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/epac/loop-wv.html
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc/

I just returned some movies to the video rental on main street and the flooding didn’t look to bad. The wind is not blowing that much . The Bisbee's Black & Blue tournament is due to start first thing this mourning so it could be a problem for some of the smaller boats. If the port Capitan does not close the harbor in the mourning it looks the tournament is a go. All in all it just looks like we will be getting some much needed rain and some light local flooding but it could have been allot worse.

[Edited on 10-25-2006 by renegademike]

Hook - 10-25-2006 at 11:05 AM

The Bisbee's has been cancelled for today according to their own website.

Hurricane Paul weakens to tropical storm off Mexico's Pacific coast

BajaNews - 10-25-2006 at 11:40 AM

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20061025-0320-hurr...

By Mark Stevenson
October 25, 2006

SAN JOSE DEL CABO, Mexico – Hurricane Paul weakened to a tropical storm, easing the threat Wednesday to resort cities and surrounding villages at the tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

Paul's top winds fell to near 45 mph and the storm was expected to weaken further before slipping just south of the twin resorts of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, known jointly as Los Cabos.

By early Thursday, Paul was forecast to hit mainland Mexico around the state of Sinaloa, unleashing rain that could cause dangerous flooding, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Paul's maximum sustained winds had reached 110 mph on Monday, making it a Category 2 hurricane. It was the third hurricane to threaten the Pacific coast's resort areas this season.

Early Wednesday the storm was 75 miles west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas and about 245 miles west-southwest of Mazatlan on the mainland. It was moving northeast about 9 mph.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the tip of Baja.
A 23-year-old Mexican fisherman died Monday after he slipped off rocks being battered by the rough sea in the coastal community of Todos Santos, north of Los Cabos, said Baja California Sur civil defense director Jose Gajon.

Off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, officials were searching for the body of an American man who was swept away by the waves while he was walking along the beach with his wife and sister.

Gilberto Guzman, manager of the SolMar Hotel, identified the missing tourist as John Skoor, 65, of Moses Lake, Wash.. Guzman said “an enormous wave” swept Skoor and his sister out to sea late Monday. Hotel staff were able to save the sister.

Known for their rugged beauty, San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas are popular with sports fishermen and celebrities and famous for world-class golf courses and pristine beaches flanked by cactus-dotted deserts.

Streets were already flooded with ankle-deep water in Cabo San Lucas, where authorities closed schools and opened eight shelters Tuesday. Later police drove through neighborhoods, calling on people to take refuge.

City government spokesman Jorge Castaneda said at least 1,000 residents were being evacuated, most from shantytowns in areas at high risk for flooding.

Guadalupe Herrera preferred to stay in her wooden shack. “If we leave our house alone, we will be robbed,” she said.

Tourists were taking the wet weather in stride.

“I'm used to this kind of thing. I spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy so it doesn't bother me,” said Keith Howard, 55, of British Colombia, who was walking in cloudy San Jose del Cabo. “I don't plan on going fishing though.”

Dave Snow, 47, and Shauna Grady, 39, of Boulder, Colo., walked the rain-soaked streets of San Jose del Cabo early Tuesday after Paul forced them to postpone their stay in Cabo Pulmo, an exposed stretch of coast to the north that is popular among divers.

“If it had stayed at hurricane level, it would have been scarier,” Snow said. “It seems pretty mellow now.”

In Cabo San Lucas, hotel guests played board games in lobbies or read in their rooms.

“It looks as though the storm is dissipating and we're not going to get much of anything at all,” said Sandra Scandiber, owner of the small Los Milagros Hotel in Cabo San Lucas. “I don't think today is going to be a beach day, but tomorrow just may be.”

Mexico's Pacific coast was struck by two hurricanes last month. Hurricane John battered Baja California, killing five people and destroying 160 homes, while Hurricane Lane hit the resort town of Mazatlan, causing relatively minor damage.

Both Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons, which end Nov. 30, have been normal this year, Feltgen said, adding that the U.S. has been fortunate to not be hit by any of the five hurricanes in 2006. The Atlantic had a record season last year with devastating storms, including Hurricane Katrina, which slammed New Orleans and the U.S. Gulf coast.

BajaNews - 10-25-2006 at 11:48 AM

Joe and Melissa Curcio, of Nashville, Tenn., look out on large waves crashing onto the beach at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006, as Tropical Storm Paul nears.

At this spot early Tuesday morning, John Skoor of Moses Lake, Wa., was washed out to sea and drown while taking a walk along the beach. Tropical Storm Paul downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm status Tuesday, though heavy rains are still expected this evening. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

storm.paul.01.jpg - 21kB

BajaNews - 10-25-2006 at 11:50 AM

A man posts a printout from the National Hurricane Center showing the predicted path of Tropical Storm Paul as of Tuesday morning on the door of a fishing supply store in downtown Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006, as Tropical Storm Paul nears.

Residents of this resort town were relieved Tuesday to see nearby Paul downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm status, though heavy rains are still expected this evening. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

storm.paul.02.jpg - 27kB

Third time lucky for Mexican resort as storm misses

BajaNews - 10-25-2006 at 08:06 PM

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domestic...

Oct 25, 2006

LOS CABOS, Mexico (Reuters) - The Mexican beach resort of Los Cabos escaped serious damage from a cyclone for the third time in two months on Wednesday when Tropical Storm Paul skirted it and blew toward the mainland.

Rescuers working in the rain evacuated more than 1,500 people on Tuesday night from shantytowns near the Baja California resort. High waves killed a Mexican fisherman and swept away a U.S. tourist, who is presumed dead.

The storm, at one point a moderate Category 2 hurricane, lost strength and changed direction, moving away from Los Cabos. The resort is made up of the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

American tourists sipped rum with their breakfast at one sunny hotel terrace. Bartender Antonio Lemus was awed at the area's good fortune of barely escaping a triplet of powerful storms this hurricane season.

"Three times we were on the verge, and at the last minute they dissipated or swerved," he said. "They're saying around here the hand of God touched Cabo San Lucas."

Last month, Hurricane Lane threatened Los Cabos before dodging the region and carrying fierce winds and rain into the western state of Sinaloa.

Two weeks earlier, Hurricane John, with winds of 115 mph (185 kph), barreled toward the tip of Baja California and sent hundreds of tourists fleeing to the airport before it lost strength and veered to the northeast, instead hitting state capital La Paz and killing at least three people.

LASHING RAIN

The edge of the latest storm lashed Los Cabos with rain and winds on Tuesday night. Die-hard vacationers waded through calf-deep rainwater clutching plastic beer cups to reach nightspots like the Cabo Wabo bar, which were buzzing despite the weather.

Police banged on flimsy doors in poor neighborhoods in danger of being flooded to evacuate the most vulnerable.

Women clutching toddlers and small bundles of basic possessions ran to buses that carried them to schools converted into makeshift shelters.

John Bryan Skoor, a 65-year-old from Washington state, was swept off a beach at Los Cabos by a wave and is presumed dead, a U.S. consulate official said.

A Mexican fisherman was also killed in the storm, state officials told Reuters.

By Wednesday morning, Paul had passed east of the Baja California peninsula and headed across the Sea of Cortez toward the coast, where it was expected to strike the farming state of Sinaloa. Paul's winds reached 45 mph (75 kph).

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Sinaloa on the western mainland, where three people were killed by Lane last month.

"This general motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours taking the center of Paul into mainland Mexico within the warning area later today," the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

Damage to tomatoes, one of Sinaloa's main farming products and a staple in Mexican cuisine, led to a shortage after Lane hit in September, causing a spike in the country's inflation.

Cantavina....

Juan del Rio - 10-28-2006 at 06:11 PM

for those of you who may have stayed at the La Pinta, my friend Donn sent this to me. The "Welcome Committee" in action during Paul:

1217.jpg - 27kB

Bob and Susan - 10-28-2006 at 06:16 PM

wow!!!

we were just there and it didn't look like that!!!