Riviera Maya, Q.R. — State authorities have put the coast of Quintana Roo on storm alert with the inevitable passing of Helene. On Tuesday morning, State Civil Protection reported an alert has been issued from Cabo Catoche, Holbox in the north down to Tulum in the south.
Major coastal areas on alert include Holbox, Isla Mujeres, Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Paamul), Cozumel and Akumal-Tulum.
According to State Civil Protection, the center of potential tropical cyclone Nine (to become Helene) is located 240 kms west of Grand Cayman Island and 410 km southeast of Cancun.
It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kms/h, gusts of 75 kms/h and movement to the northwest at 15 km/h. Its wide circulation will cause torrential rains of between 150 to 200 mms in Quintana Roo in addition to winds with gusts of 50 to 70 kms/h and waves of 1 to 3 meters high.

“A prevention zone for the effects of a tropical storm is maintained from Río Lagartos, Yuc., to Tulum, Q. Roo, and a surveillance zone for the effects of a hurricane is maintained from Cabo Catoche to Tulum, Q. Roo,” Coordinación Estatal de Protección Civil Quintana Roo reported Tuesday.

According to trajectories, the storm is forecast to pass near the coast around 1:00 a.m. Wednesday from where it will quickly intensify into hurricane status as it enters the Gulf of Mexico.
While the coast of Quintana Roo is more likely to experience tropical storm effects, a hurricane watch from Cabo Catoche, on the eastern tip of the island of Holbox, south to Tulum, remains in effect.

With the inevitable arrival of the storm, the island of Holbox is preparing for a voluntary evacuation. The state remains on a Blue Alert (low level) of danger, as issued by Civil Protection, however, that could change as the storm nears the coast.
Holbox Express has announced free transfers for islanders starting at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday. Anyone wishing to voluntarily evacuate can do so before the arrival of the storm.

Ferry services that operate on the routes between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, as well as between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, have announced the suspension of operations. Different companies running different routes are holding separate schedules for transporting passengers to and from islands to mainlands, however, all ferry runs have been suspended for Wednesday with a possible resumption on Thursday the 26th.

The storm is forecast to take approximately 12 hours to clear Quintana Roo, arriving around 1:00 a.m. Wednesday morning and heading off around 2:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
Helene is scheduled to make U.S. landfall as a “major” hurricane Thursday.