Powerful gusts of winds up to 75 miles per hour slammed into the Yucatán Peninsula on Monday, knocking out power and causing property damage in several areas.
Two fishing boats with a total of five men did not make it back to port as of Tuesday morning.
The severe weather was brought on by a cold front that made contact with the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
The winds were particularly severe along the coast, but reports of fallen trees, electricity poles, and the like were reported across the entire region.
Though the storm has passed, cooler-than-usual temperatures are expected for the next few days, and all sea vessels are ordered to stay on land.
The brunt of the flooding and damage to infrastructure appears to have been along Yucatán’s northern coast in communities including Telchac and Río Lagartos.
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But the storm’s effects were also felt in Mérida, where flooding affected several parts of the city, and winds knocked out power to large sections of the city, briefly including the airport.
Several traffic accidents have also been blamed on flying debris along Mérida’s Periferico and avenues like Prolongacion Paseo de Montejo and Avenida Canek.
In Playa del Carmen, police rescued a tourist who got swept up by the sea, while a large neon Oxxo sign fell and nearly crushed a mother and daughter in Progreso.
Moderate to severe damage has also been reported to infrastructure in Cancún, where powerful waves slammed into resorts along the coast, taking with them several palapas, tables, and lounge chairs.
Though the immediate danger has passed, government authorities warn that similar storms may hit the region in the coming weeks.
Speculation surrounding these storms foreshadows a particularly intense 2024 hurricane season, but most meteorologists agree it is too early to know.
