Hurricane Patricia - Misses Puerto Vallarta and Moves On
October 24, 2015
It's over! The strongest hurricane in history has dissipated into a series of storms that will drop considerable amounts of rain in Mexico, Texas and maybe Florida. But, in Nuevo Vallarta...this is what an Aimfair member sees:The beauty of Nuevo Vallarta is shining through again....
Hurricane Patricia landed at about 6:15 around Cuixmala, which is a community that is located approximately 50 miles north of Manzanillo, well south of Puerto Vallarta. The impact on guests at the Grupo Vidanta resorts was inconvenience, but little else. There were approximately 3,200 guests and staff at the resort during the height of the storm. The evacuation plan at the resort was for everyone to congregate in the central Employee Office and Parking structure, where there is a commissary with plenty of food and supplies, and which is a solid concrete, safe structure to gain shelter from the stormm.
Here is what one Aimfair member had to say about the way the event was handled by the Vidanta staff:
10:40 AM:
The river is raging with lots of debris , but not flooding, and a big area of the bay close to us is muddy. But the sun is shining with a few clouds. Much cooler and drier today and people out and about. Staff is busy getting everything back in place and running normally. Can't say enough positive about the way Mayan handled this. Very efficiently but also wanting to do all they could to make people comfortable and happy! I was proud to be an owner here.
Another Aimfair member asked that we post a video that shows a conversation between Canadians who are on site and a member of the Vida staff.
Members of the resort staff provided the following comments:
October 24, 2015 - 8:17 AM
Good morning Mr. Jones,
I am sorry I could not get back to you before but the Internet service was down almost all day yesterday.
As you may know by now, Patricia landfall yesterday south of Jalisco and thankfully we only received heavy rain and today is starting to clear out. The Contact Center will resume operations today at 11 am (CST) and will continue to operate normally.
From what we know, the property does not endure any damages.
I am off this weekend but will be back on Monday.
Warm regards,
And another:
October 24, 2015 - 10:39 AM:
Bob
All is well. We were extremely fortunate as the storm basically missed us. We had a shelter it the parking lot were we had all 3200 guests. Everything went very well. Our members were extremely comfortable and content. Thanks for your concern.
The Mexico Report announced that the Puerto Vallarta International Airport is open and fully operational. Southwest Airlines has dispatched two extra recoverty flights to Houston. Hotels, restaurants, buses, taxis and the marine terminal are all operational. Read more by tapping here.
It is great to report that all operations are back to normal and all guests returned to their units from the Parking Garage Shelter by around 10 PM last evening. Thus ends the Patricia saga in Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta.
We are not sure about those who live where the eye of the storm landed in the area of Cuixmala at about 6:15 PM last evening. Cuixmala is about 50 miles north of Manzanillo and is a lightly populated area.
Cuixmala - The village where the eye of Patricia, the strongest hurricane in history, made landfall.
Winds were gusting to 165 miles an hour when the storm landed, and although they started to lessen as the storm move eastward, such winds can cause enormous damage.
It would be interesting to know how the Castillo de Cuixmala fared. This is an interesting structure that sits on a bluff and overlooks the beach and ocean.
Castillo de Cuixmala - A luxury hotel near or at the eye of Patricia, the strongest hurricane in history.
Castillo de Cuixmala - A luxury hotel near or at the eye of Patricia, the strongest hurricane in history.
Can you imagine being in this castle-like structure when 150 to 165 mile an hour winds are whistling around the building?
Frightening!
We hope those who live in the area of Cuixmala and the path of Patricia as it moves Eastward are safe and will recover from the possible devastation it might have caused.