Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Clean up continues after the passing of Hurricane Grace, the first storm to make landfall in the region this season. Governor Carlos Joaquin reported Grace finished passing around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, allowing crews from Isla Mujeres to Felipe Carrillo Puerto to assess damage.
Throughout the day, the biggest concern was reestablishing of full power and water services to the region. Joaquin reported that as of Thursday night, 63 percent of power had been restored in the state, 58 percent in Cancun.
With the restoration of electricity, CAPA was able to begin restoring the water flow to homes. By 8:00 p.m., Joaquin said that 95 percent of the water flow had been restored on the island of Cozumel, since the CFE was successful in restoring 90 percent of its power.
He also said that two flights landed at the Cozumel International Airport on Thursday and that for Friday, flights have been confirmed as normal. There were no deaths reported in the state due to the passing of Grace, only minor damage, a majority of which, Joaquin says has already been cleared. He says that all major roads are passable since cleanup efforts began early.
Around that state, the felling of both trees and power poles were the most common problems. Flying debris also caused some inconveniences. Several metal sun structures also toppled. The strong winds relocated sand along the Cancun Hotel Zone causing damage to beachside structures.
Authorities report the finding of more than 130 baby sea turtles displaced by Hurricane Grace. The young turtles were found along beaches and on road ways. They were rescued one-by-one and returned to clear sand where they entered the sea on their own.
Hurricane Grace moved off as a tropical storm early Thursday, reaching the neighboring state of Yucatan where wind and rain damage was also recorded. Grace is currently in the Gulf of Mexico, having regained strength as a hurricane.
She is forecast to make landfall again Friday as a Category 1 hurricane, affecting Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz.
