So, por favor, go away already, ok?

Rina is outstaying her reservation here. Our friends at NOAA give us this map:

What it says is that TS Rina is hitting the coast of Quintana Roo now, and that when it gets done with this excruciating inundation of rain and wind, it's going to circle around, clockwise, and head back to Belize. It's not going to the US. It's not going out to sea. It's hanging around. Are you kidding me? Can't this thing just go somewhere else? Somewhere else far away? Out to the Atlantic?

I guess not. Latest report from Bahia Soliman: crappy weather, not much happening. Storm surge not too high. Winds not to crazy. Little or no damage (cross fingers). Maybe the storm will be gone enough by tomorrow mid day that there's just stirred up Bay, cloudy ski, and dripping. One can hope.

Well, It Could Be A Lot Worse

The latest from Weather Uunderground isn't great. It's not even good. But it is a whole lot better than the prognostico that Rina would arrive in Tulum as a Category 3 storm moving very slowly (3 mph).

I find myself saying things like, "Well, we've weatherred tropical storms before, many of them, so this is a little more wind than that, but this shouldn't be a really big problem." Then I shudder. I touch wood, I say "jinx," I say, "Kinahurrah." If I knew the Mayan expression to avert the evil I (I don't), I'd say it too.

By this time tomrrow the storm should be past Bahia Soliman and Nah Yaxche. Let's hope that everyone in the Mayan Riviera is safe and secure, that the storm is gentle, and that all are well in its wake.

Again, A Storm

Here's a picture that is worth a few thousand words.

I left Nah Yaxche in Bahia Soliman on Monday for the usual anchovy inspired flight, first to Chicago, and then to Albany. It took all day. I couldn't buy the upgrade where they treat you like a human and not a fish in a can. No problem. I'm used to it.

While I was in the air, what I thought would be a minor Tropical Storm got upgraded to Hurricane Rina, and it looks like it's aiming for Bahia Soliman and the rest of the Mayan Riviera. Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Morelos. It is predicted to arrive Thursday or so.

This is what happens in the Caribe. Frequently. It is nothing new. Out of nowhere, a big storm. A massive storm surge. Lots of sand in the front door. It will rain a great deal. And gail winds will blow. Hard. Then, after a while, depending on how fast it is moving, it will move on. After it's left, the sky will be beautifully blue, the sun will shine, and the sea will again become calm. It will be as if nothing happened.

Of course, everyone should lock everything up and tie everything down, and then leave the Bay and go inland. Why? Because during and after the storm, the access road will no doubt (again) be under water. And there will be no electricity or phone or cell service. And it will be hard to find something to eat. Especially if it needed to be refrigerated. And nobody wants to be around if the trees break and fall.

This is also a serious test of architecture and design. Will Nah Yaxche weather the storm well? Will newer the houses with their height and their glass doors and windows? I hope they all do. I suspect that the low houses without the glass are a better choice. We will see.