BajaNomad

WHERE? Missing rancheros????????

Baja Bucko - 9-6-2009 at 06:06 PM

Someone posted that there may be people missing among the ranchero families...any ideas on which mtn range or drainages??????

Does anyone know if the 2 meters are working in the San Franciscos??? I am very concerned about many many friends in the San Franciscos, Sierra Guadalupes and in the San Juans....hoping some body with a 2 mtr radio in San Ignacio or Mulege might have some facts.

mulegemichael - 9-6-2009 at 06:12 PM

i'm the one that posted that and i have ABSOLUTELY no facts...a couple of reliable sources have quoted those numbers to me...we're talking about the area due west from mulege..

baja Steve - 9-6-2009 at 06:52 PM

I have been in contact with George in San Ignacio. Lugna San Ignacio had some glass damage and some roof but in all they came through well. Santa Martha the word from the school is that they got hit very hard in that area but nothing about deaths. George is on Skype if you need to talk to him.

Pescador - 9-7-2009 at 08:29 AM

There are numerous ranchos and little settlements in the back country of Baja. While ATVing in the backcountry I was amazed at the number of people who live back there raising goats or ranching. Some have communication only by radio-telephone and several have a buyer from Mulege who comes in weekly to buy their cheeses which are mostly sold on the mainland due to their high quality. A lot of these ranchos settle near water courses so of course when the water flash floods like it did with this storm, oftentimes you will find their shelters and belongings washed away. They are very resilient and hard working and hopefully everyone came through with a minimum of damage, but it will take some time before any of the roads get re-opened for vehicle travel.

Paulina - 9-7-2009 at 09:34 AM

Teddi,

I hope you find a connection soon. I can't imagine the worry you must have for all the fine people you've connected with in the outback.

Thank you Pescador for your post. I feel for them as well.

P<*)))>{

Baja Bucko - 9-7-2009 at 09:43 AM

Paulina-are you in Loreto? Do you have access to anyone w a radio?

If Santa Marta and surrounding ranchos were hit hard I'd like to start getting some sort of relief supples together somehow tho' I am in Oregon presently with my husband who is trying to recover from a catastrophic heart attack and is on a heart pump awaiting a transplant. Possibly I can try to send some funds south if I can make sure it gets to the right people. Any suggestions....I am so worried.

toneart - 9-7-2009 at 10:01 AM

Just an idea: Dr. Dan Silva goes out to those Rancheros to treat them on many Sundays...his day off. He will probably be trying to reach them somehow. I'm sure that travel by road would be impossible right now. Maybe he is in radio contact??

His office number is 153-0253.

Baja Bucko - 9-7-2009 at 10:11 AM

Thank you-do you have the bunch of numbers that go in front of the ph. you gave? Is he in San Ignacio or ?

toneart - 9-7-2009 at 11:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bucko
Thank you-do you have the bunch of numbers that go in front of the ph. you gave? Is he in San Ignacio or ?


Dr Silva is in Mulege. the area code there is 615
If you are calling from the U.S.: use 001 first. So, that would be 001-615-153-0253.

If you are calling from within Mexico from a house phone to cell, use 044 first. Cell phone to Cell phone, use 615 first, then 153 and numbers. Cell phone to house phone, use 153 and number.

I know this is confusing. I sometimes have trouble dialing the right combination of numbers, in the right sequence. I am pulling this information from our community generated phone book.

If you still have trouble, get operator assistance. Or come back here and tell us and maybe someone else can help with the telephone maze. Let us know anyway, what Dr. Silva says. FYI he speaks English. Report back to us what you find out, and ultimately what you find out.

vandenberg - 9-7-2009 at 11:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by toneart


Dr Silva is in Mulege. the area code there is 615
If you are calling from the U.S.: use 001 first. So, that would be 001-615-153-0253.




Would have to add the country code:

001-52-615-153-0253

toneart - 9-7-2009 at 11:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by vandenberg
Quote:
Originally posted by toneart


Dr Silva is in Mulege. the area code there is 615
If you are calling from the U.S.: use 001 first. So, that would be 001-615-153-0253.




Would have to add the country code:

001-52-615-153-0253


Thank You Vandy! I was an English Lit. major. I don't do numbers well. :no:

Paulina - 9-7-2009 at 11:42 AM

No Teddi, I'm in Calif. Hopefully the connection to Dr. Silva that Tonart provided will put you on the right track. It's frustrating to be stuck stateside, but it sounds like you are very much needed where you are at the moment. Our thoughts will also be with you and your husband.

P<*)))>{

mulegemichael - 9-7-2009 at 12:01 PM

hate to throw a monkey wrench in this toneart but we heard through the grapevine that doctor silva was run out of town for domestic abuse and that his office is closed....hope that's not true cause we found him to be very competent ...whatever

toneart - 9-7-2009 at 12:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mulegemichael
hate to throw a monkey wrench in this toneart but we heard through the grapevine that doctor silva was run out of town for domestic abuse and that his office is closed....hope that's not true cause we found him to be very competent ...whatever


Oh no! I hope it is a false rumor. That doesn't sound right. Perhaps any further stuff that is not verified should not appear here.:?:

Paula - 9-7-2009 at 02:14 PM

...that pesky little phone #...

I'm pretty sure that when you call Mexico from the US you dial 011, not 001, then 52,the country code, then the rest of the #. Worked for me when I called Loreto this morning.:yes: So to call Dr Silva, if he is still in Mulege dial:

011-52-615-153-0253

Paula - 9-7-2009 at 02:18 PM

Oh,

and by the way, if you hear any news of San Francisco and the ranches in Santa Teresa canyon, San Gregorio, or Calabasas or Guadalupe, etc. please post it here. I'd love to know that my friends up there are doing OK

mulegemichael - 9-7-2009 at 02:24 PM

we couldn't believe it either, tony but it was a local that passed that info on to us...just doesn't seem right, huh?

baja Steve - 9-7-2009 at 02:40 PM

IN the Santa Martha area radio contact has been made and they are getting the help they need for now. They said the road was the most important at this time.

Phil C - 9-9-2009 at 05:43 AM

I spoke with Ramon Arce last night, there was much rain in the Sierras homes were slightly damaged and wet. No injuries reported. They did lose some animals, chivas and burros. It seems that the people in Santa Teresa are O.K. as well. The road was damaged and everyone is working on it. No word on how long that will take.

Neal Johns - 9-9-2009 at 06:45 AM

Teddi,
So sorry about your husband. Let me know if you arrange to send help to the ranchos.
Neal

Airlift relief to ranches

Siri - 9-9-2009 at 10:16 AM

Paula, thanks for your U2U, made me realize I should probably reply here, for those who are particularly interested in helping the ranches in the Sierras.

I worked with the Baja Bush Pilots airlift after Hurricane John and saw personally how they distributed aid. While the pilots did all fly donations (clothes, medical supplies, etc) from the US into Baja airports, the 2nd part of the airlift was distributing aid boxes (dispensas) to areas unreachable by road. After John, the dispensas were donated by both Wal-Mart Mexico and Fundacion Bancomer to Cruz Roja--but it was the Bush Pilots who got the boxes to the ranches. Most of the time, they flew in pairs with one fixed-wing aircraft and one helicopter. The aircraft would "buzz" each ranch past a road wash-out (as many had been abadoned prior to the Hurricane as people went to more central areas to wait out the flooding). If someone came out, they would radio the nearby heli which would land and deliver the boxes...one ranch at a time. There were also specific assignments from Cruz Roja, for example, they evacuated an elderly and ill woman from a small ranch and took her to Comondu.

The plan for this airlift is very similar. According to Jack, aid boxes are coming again from Wal-Mart Mexico. The good news is that, in addition to the "food for a family of 4" boxes we had after John, now there are 2 additional types of aid boxes--one is baby supplies (food, diapers, blanket) and the other is household cleaning supplies (including disinfectants).

If you are particularly interested in aid to the ranches, the BBP airlift is a great cause. It is not a effort only directed towards Mulege--quite the opposite, aid will be spread all around, mostly based on Cruz Roja assessments. A portion of $ donations will be used for the pilots' fuel expenses (mind you, they will likely be reimbursed only a small portion of their actual expenses), and the remainder will be donated directly to Cruz Roja (via our connection in La Paz) and used to further purchase supplies as needed.

I have started a new thread called "Baja Bush Pilots-Hurricane Jimena Airlift Project" and am posting information there. We are waiting for a big update from BBP this afternoon, that will include information of how to donate physical items as well as financial donations. Please check that thread for new info.

Also, you can see photos from the H. John airlift on the BBP website at www.bajabushpilots.com. In the left-side menu under "Public Section", click "Photo Gallery I", then from the alphabetical drop-down list of albums select "Hurricane Relief". As usual, I find the photos describe the project better than my words.

Paula - 9-9-2009 at 03:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Phil C
I spoke with Ramon Arce last night, there was much rain in the Sierras homes were slightly damaged and wet. No injuries reported. They did lose some animals, chivas and burros. It seems that the people in Santa Teresa are O.K. as well. The road was damaged and everyone is working on it. No word on how long that will take.



Thanks Phil! This is the news I've been waiting for!

ecomujeres - 9-10-2009 at 12:49 AM

Here's a short article about the ranches that I found in Sudcaliforniano.



Ranchers in Mulegé municipality receive help via CFE helicopter

from Sudcaliforniano, 9 Sept 2009-09-09 (translation: ecomujeres)


After 8 days of total isolation because of the destruction of rural roads, half a dozen ranches in the municipality of Mulegé began to receive humanitarian aid via a helicopter from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE)

The helicopter, departing from the port of Santa Rosalía, made its first trip this past Tuesday to San Sebastián, an intermediate point in the sierras, carrying on board medical personnel, medicines, food rations and drinking water.


Today, similar help will be delivered to the ranches of San Francisco, Santa Marta, Guadalupe, El Patrocinio y San Pedro.

In spite of the geographic isolation, most of these ranches have kept in constant communication with each other from the first day of the emergency by VHF radios. To date, no deaths have been recorded from the torrencial rains brought to the area by Hurricane Jimena.

What the hurricane did cause was the death of a very large number of goats, the destruction of several houses and the collapse of a number of wells. Without much further detail, it is known that some ranchers that lost their houses have taken refuge at the homes of relatives in nearby ranches, where they are waiting for help from the government to be able to rebuild their homes and replace their livestock.

The state roads commission is already working with heavy machinery in the first stretch of road that goes from San Miguel to Santa Marta and they expect that at the latest, within in a week they will have finished the repair of the rest of the affected roads, including the one to San Francisco de la Sierra.