Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Downed trees, power outages and flooded streets were left behind after the passing of Tropical Storm Nadine. The storm began passing the southern region of Quintana Roo early Saturday afternoon.
Heavy rains and strong winds were present along the entire coast as the storm made landfall. Wind and rain were felt in varying degrees up the coast, however, Nadine’s wrath was felt hardest around 3:00 p.m. in Chetumal, which was the most affected city.
A transformer explosion left hundreds without power in the city’s residential areas of Campestre and ISSSTE. Additional homes were affected after a weak power pole collapsed on Revolución Avenue, a main artery in the city of Chetumal.
City officials were forced to close the avenue due to the fallen pole. Governor Mara Lezama accompanied Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) personnel Saturday night while they made the necessary repairs.
Further south, an injured dolphin was found stranded on sand on a Mahahual beach. The mammal was found by residents being slammed against a wood structure on shore. A group of authorities, including marine specialists, evaluated the dolphin’s injuries.
In hard waves, the group spent over an hour maneuvering the dolphin into a sling where more than two dozen people helped carry it out to deep water for its release.
While Nadine’s wind and rain spared no part of the coast, tourists in Cancun were not particularly deterred by the storm. A group of visitors were seen taking photos at the point of interest at Playa Delfines in the Cancun Hotel Zone Saturday during Nadine.
A long line formed off to the side where other visitors waited for their photo-op turn in the wet weather.
Police patrolling southern roads reported a small landslide. Patrolling officers stopped to clear the road near the town of Esteban B Calderón after boulders left it impassable. The heavy rains from Nadine weakened the mountainside, causing rocks to fall and block half of the highway.
Police reported continued preventive patrols around the towns of Cacao, Cocoyol, San.Fco.Botes, Rovirosa and Esteban B Calderón.
Beaches in Tulum were red-flagged prior to the arrival of Nadine. The town experienced only minor flooding in low lying streets due to the storm.
Ports around the state operated normally for large vessels, however, Port Captains closed navigation to boats under 40 feet. The major ferry companies continued with regular schedules around Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.
However, navigation to all vessels was closed in Chetumal, Bacalar and Mahahual due to Nadine’s strong winds which created high waves.
Early Saturday, the entire coast of Quintana Roo was put on a tropical storm watch after a disturbance quickly developed into Tropical Cyclone Fifteen then Tropical Storm Nadine. According to the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN), Nadine arrived with wind gusts of 70 to 90 kms/h generating waves of 2 to 4 meters.
