Cancun, Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Hurricane Zeta made landfall near Tulum Monday evening, however, winds from the storm were felt hours before its official arrival. While accompanied by rain, the region did not experience the heavy downpours forecast with Zeta.
Before its arrival, municipalities began preparations with some residential evacuations and large road sign removals. More than 34,000 tourists were also in the area when Zeta hit.
“We are taking the necessary measures to take care of tourists in the presence of Hurricane Zeta. Some hotels are relocating guests to more protected areas, but we will be ready in case authorities order an evacuation. We will be attentive to follow the instructions of Civil Protection,” added Manuel Paredes, Executive Director of Asociación de Hoteles de la Riviera Maya.
Hurricane Zeta hit the island of Cozumel first as a Category 1 hurricane. Strong winds lashed the region for more than 10 hours as the storm made its way across the Yucatan Peninsula. Downed power lines, fallen trees and material damage were seen up and down the coast as the storm headed toward the state of Yucatan.
Most businesses have reopened with electricity being restored to approximately 70 percent of the northern area. Governor Carlos Joaquin said that hundreds of trees, poles and billboards were downed from Cancun to Tulum. He added that some flooding and material damages have also been reported.
Hurricane Zeta brought with it wind gusts of up to 140 kilometers per hour. Until noon, all the beaches in the northern part of the state remain closed due to strong swells.
Hospital centers are operational as well as all highways in the state. Hurricane Zeta was the 27th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season and the third storm, the second hurricane for Cancun, Riviera Maya, during the month of October.
