Hurricane Ernesto Looms: Evacuating Our Mexican Beach House Housesit
Since our last update, our housesitting stay at the beach house has turned dramatically more intense.
The Dilemma: Stay or Evacuate?
Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in Mexico last week as a Category 2 storm, striking just 20 miles north of our beach house. It tore through the jungle, downing power lines along its path.
Yet the real tension built in the days leading up to the storm. As Tropical Storm Ernesto, speculation swirled: Would it intensify into a hurricane or weaken into a depression? And if it strengthened, should we stay or leave?
It started a week earlier with an email from the homeowner alerting us to Ernesto's potential approach. Initially casual—a watch-and-wait scenario and neighborly chatter amid sunny beach days.
We lounged in hammocks, worked beachside, swam in calm waters. A hurricane felt unreal, but updates from U.S.-based owners mounted, escalating the threat.
We planned evacuations: packing essentials, even debating removing coconuts from palms to prevent window damage. Soon, discussions turned technical.
Steering Clear of the 'Dirty' Side
Email threads shared storm data. I plotted latitudes, longitudes, and landfall points using meteorological tools for best- and worst-case forecasts.
Local expats discussed the 'dirty' side risk—where counterclockwise winds amplify destruction if the storm hits south. We prayed for a northern strike.
The storm was now a confirmed hurricane, potentially escalating to Category 2. Per the Saffir-Simpson scale, this brings 'extremely dangerous winds causing extensive damage.'
We weighed our options: Hunker down 30 feet from the beach, isolated without phone or internet for up to 18 hours? Or evacuate?
We chose to leave.
The prior day brought heavy rain, but departure morning was serene: calm seas, chirping birds, save for swarms of dragonflies signaling unease.
We nearly second-guessed ourselves. Many expats stayed; owners deferred to us. Southern Mexican neighbors boarded up and fled too. Driving through the village, sun-glinted ocean views framed pulled-in fishing boats and shuttered homes. Locals had evacuated.
Heading north, army trucks raced south. Hours later, much of Costa Maya evacuated toward Playa del Carmen.
Bittersweet Return to Civilization
After five remote weeks, rejoining civilization felt refreshing, highlighting our isolation—and eagerness to depart in two weeks. Yet bittersweet.
Our longest housesit in two years (topping last summer's Canada gig), it forged deep bonds, especially with Loba. We adore this spirited dog: her antelope-like leaps hunting fish in shallows, paw tricks from Dani, beach sprints. We'll miss her guarding the beach house.
Summer's endless feel now dwindles to under two weeks. Countdown: final solar fills, generator runs, dinners with Kiwi housesitter friends, scant snorkeling left.
Next: Costa Rica Housesit
Snorkeling awaits in Costa Rica—our sixth 2012 housesit: two months on Nicoya Peninsula with a beach house, new puppy, more amenities.
Stay tuned for our final Mexico beach house notes in two weeks. Fingers crossed for calm weather!
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