Jan Wesner Childs
Evacuations are underway and emergency assets deployed as Cancun and other parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula braced for a hit by Hurricane Delta Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
Evacuations were ordered Tuesday morning for parts of Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Isla Holbox and other coastal areas in Quintana Roo state, Gov. Carlos Joaquin said on Twitter. Mexico's civil protection agency said 81 shelters were opened in Quintana Roo.
The Cancun and Puerto Morelos Hotel Association said that about 32,000 tourists needed to be relocated to shelters, according to local news site La Palabra Del Caribe. Shelters were being opened for the more than 1,300 tourists on Cozumel, Radio Cozumel reported.
(MORE: The Latest Forecast for Hurricane Delta)
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered 5,000 military personnel to deploy to Quintana Roo and Yucatan ahead of the storm. He also asked residents to heed the advice of local authorities and go to shelters if necessary.
Video posted to social media showed people waiting in a long line at a local Walmart Tuesday morning, and stocking up on plywood and other supplies at another store Monday night.
The country's civil protection agency was activating assets, including a mobile communications center.
Delta Air Lines was waiving change fees for flights departing from or arriving at Cancun International Airport through Thursday. American Airlines was doing the same for travel through Cancun or Cozumel.
(MORE: Delta Forces Storm-Ravaged Gulf Coast to Prepare for Yet Another Blow)
Jorge Zavala, head of Mexico’s meteorological service, said in a press conference late Monday that Hurricane Delta "presents an important danger for the coastal regions," especially in lower parts of Quintana Roo where storm surge is a threat, the Associated Press reported. Those areas include the resorts of Cancun, Isla Holbox and Isla Mujeres.
Hurricane Delta comes on the heels of Tropical Storm Gamma, which killed at least six people over the weekend. The worst of the damage was in the state of Tabasco, where about 600,000 people were affected by flooding, according to Mexico News Daily.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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