EAST CAPE, Baja California, Mexico
This is a report on Hurricane John from a friend that who an oceanfront million $$ home just North of the Los Barilles Hotel "Las Palmas De Cortez." She sent this letter to me today on 9/12. I just thought you might like an update of that area.
Mulege and Loreto were hit very hard also and the Red Cross and Baja Bush Pilots are flying in relief clothes, cots, shoes, and food to all areas including stranded people in the mountains with helicopters and planes. There were about a dozen volunteer private planes flying supplies into La Paz, Loreto, and Mulege. Two people drowned in Mulege. One gringo and one older Mexican man.
If you want to read more about Loreto and Mulege, go to www.bajabushpilots.com and see all the reports from the private pilots and people who live there. They report that people have been without food for 10 days on the pacific side. It is wonderful that the Baja Bush Pilots have come to their rescue after requests from the Cruz Roja or Red Cross. They have teamed up to really make a difference.
Thanks, Sharon Armstrong
Hurricane John... from Shirley
We got our telephone service back late yesterday and I was so pleased to see your notes of concern. Well after 20 years of Hurricanes we have now survived the Big One.
Big Bad John hit us on Sept. 1 in the late evening. For the first time we were actually worried and concerned. The storm lasted 5 hours with the eye being directly over us for 45 minutes. We were completely prepared, windows and doors boarded up, all outside furniture removed, garage secured, boat in garage as well as our cars, all tools etc. on tables and off the floor.
At daylight we went out and had the shock of our lives. The entire town was destroyed. The only damage we sustained was from tons of sand everywhere and lots of water. We lost all of our fruit trees, one huge palm tree broke in half (thank God it didn't fall on anything important) the lawn is covered with 5 inches of sand, all vegetation gone.
We had no MAJOR damage to the house or garage. We were one of a few of the lucky ones.
According to our local Weather Station which is located on a mountain behind our town, John was a Category 5 - Sustained wind of 150mph, gusts to 170.mph. There were two tornadoes north of town which had speeds of 260 mph. Those caused a tremendous amount of destruction to the beautiful beach front homes and anything and everything in their path.
The power company, telephone company and emergency services had all been deployed to Cabo San Lucas as the storm was supposed to hit there. Well mother nature being what it is she changed her mind and came down inside of the Baja. Thanks to computers we were able to follow the storm and after realizing what was going to happen had a couple of days to get prepared. That's the only Good Thing about hurricanes, you do have a chance to get ready for one. No Thanks to the U.S. television stations or the National Weather Service as they as usual completely either didn't discuss us or miscalculated completely.
We had power restored by Tuesday, Water restored on Wednesday and the telephone service up yesterday. We had 200 men and 50 trucks from all over Mexico sent by the power company, 60 telephone men and trucks by the telephone company and our local water company got out water going. If you could see the damage you would all be impressed by the efficiency and speed these companies showed. All of the roads were badly damaged but with local tractors and men working all became passable in a short time.
The insurance adjusters were in town on Wednesday - we saw ours yesterday and already have authorized repairs, replacements etc. Maybe the U.S. should send some people down here to learn how to survive and recover from a Major Event.
I am so glad that Cabo wasn't hit too bad for your sake.
Your friend, Shirley
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