Baja Hurricane Resources & Relief for Hurricane Jimena

Hurricane Jimena lessened in strength before hitting Baja as a Category 1 Hurricane but still unleashed plenty of fury with wind and rain, causing catastrophic destruction in the central Baja area (Ciudad Constitution, San Carlos, Mulege, Loreto and other), and taking the life of an elderly Mexican man. Hurricane season runs officially from June 1st to November 30th. Most storms occur in the months of August and September.

A tropical depression is the first pre-hurricane stage, with wind speeds of 38 mph. The next phase pre-hurricane is a tropical storm, with winds from 39-73 mph. Tropical storms are given names. The flooding from the heavy rains of a tropical storm can wreck havoc of catastrophic degree in an area, such as what occurred in the town of Mulege from Tropical Storm John in September of 2006 and now again in 2009 - flash floods from rainfall plus winds courtesy of Hurricane Jimena.

When a tropical storm’s constant wind speed reaches above 73 mph, you have a hurricane on your hands and should be prepared to evacuate if it becomes necessary. You can read a list of Baja California Peninsula hurricanes from years prior to 1949 up until September, 2007 (Hurricane Henriette) online courtesy of Wikipedia - List of Huricanes.

To keep up-to-date on hurricane and storm activity, one online resource of many is The National Weather Service-National Hurricane Center at: www.nhc.noaa.gov. A more local resource is The Baja Insider – an eZine covering Baja California norte primarily. You can sign-up to receive news updates regularly via email, including during hurricane season. Visit their website for more information: www.bajainsider.com.

When a storm hits, local reports from Baja residents and travelers posted on popular list servs & message boards such as La Paz Gringos and Baja Nomad is often the best and most accurate information.

You can view the posts on Baja Nomad without having to sign-up or log-in. Go to the website, click on 'forums' and select a category. Members of Baja Nomad are currently organizing relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Jimena. Click on the heading 'General Baja Discussion' and you will see a thread title "Hurricane Relief Supplies". La Paz Gringos has information on where to drop-off donations in the La Paz area.

These efforts by expats are in addition to the support of local communities, both Mexican and foreign. The Mexican government sets-up shelters, provides relief supplies and aid, including protection for property owners from looters with patrols by the Mexican army as well as other support. When people are displaced from homes and in a state of emergency through no fault of their own, every little bit helps.

Molly
www.vivalabaja.com