Rock Me Like A Hurricane

We’re perpetually behind on the blog – three weeks to be exact. Let me skip ahead. So, we’re in Todos Santos having a great time and minding our own business… and get hit by a hurricane.

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I was a wild ride, but our little casita (below) held up like a champ. Solid concrete with steel bar doors. Probably the safest place on the peninsula to ride out a Cat 4 hurricane.

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After a few days in the dark, we decided to go for a ride to find some services. Todos Santos was turned upside down and shaken, but it will survive. Many locals lost everything, but people are out helping each other and starting the cleanup.

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In La Paz, there was quite a bit of damage and a few stores were open using generators. A few gas stations open, but very long lines. Most were destroyed. Long lines for ice. Long lines for tortillas. But, generally civil.

La Paz provides power for Todos Santos and about 70% of the power lines were down over the 80 km stretch. Estimates are for no power or water for a month – but nobody really knows.

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Cabo San Lucas was another story. Massive damage. Nothing open. Widespread looting. People pushing and pulling carts down the street with as much as they could carry. Trucks loaded high with brand new appliances from the local superstore. I actually saw a guy walking down the street with a complete skeleton (medical reproduction) he must have pulled out of a school. The police took the day off. We split too.

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It’s going to be a while before things return to normal down here. We hit the road again north up to Constitucion and now Loreto so we don’t have to compete for resources (food, water, gas).  We’re going to sit tight here for a bit an dfigure out what’s next.

Until then, we’ll go back to blog about the happier times and cover the past 3 excellent weeks in Todos Santos. Otherwise, we’re fine… just questioning our recent luck.

 

 

 

5 thoughts on “Rock Me Like A Hurricane

  • September 22, 2014 at 7:51 AM
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    Thanks for the update. I’ve been anxious wondering if everything was okay, both you guys and my favorite town in Mexico, Todos Santos. Always interesting to see that tourist areas fare worse than a more local-based economy. Was it the force of the hurricane or the shoddier construction that led to the difference?

  • September 22, 2014 at 8:25 AM
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    Steel and glass construction mostly blew out – mega marts, big hotels, etc. Expensive gringo homes with lots of panoramic windows had lots of damage. Smaller concrete homes – locals homes – held up well. I was impressed at the number of palapa roofs that still looked new.

    Another big difference is the sense community. Small local towns where everybody knows everybody will recover quickly. Everyone helps each other and check on their neighbor in Todos Santos. Tourist towns, where nobody is local, or relocated for tourism – it’s every man for himself. Cabo will only get fixed with government help and lots of money.

  • September 22, 2014 at 10:53 AM
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    Glad to hear you are all safe, Jason sad to hear about the conditions in Todos Santos La Paz and Cabo. Hope you have happier safer times in Loreto!

  • September 23, 2014 at 2:16 AM
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    wow @ that road! Any damage ebsides number place and antenna on Redbeard ?

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