Wednesday - October 19..."Of Biblical Proportions"
Wednesday began with beautiful sunshine. We slept a little later because
Al wasn’t diving, but were up and on our way to breakfast by about 8:15 AM.
As we entered the courtyard, we ran into one of our group members who seemed in a hurry.
"What's up?" Al asked. " Aren't you diving today?"
"No way," he answered. "We’re getting out of here. That storm went from a Category 2 to a Category 5 hurricane overnight and is headed this way. If you want to get out, you have to go today!" And he rushed off.
Category 5 hurricane? Headed toward Cozumel?! Did I hear him correctly? (Later, we read that one TV commentator referred to Wilma's overnight transformation from a Category 2 to a Category 5 hurricane as a phenomenon "of biblical proportions").
All boat dives for the day were cancelled. Shore dives would only be allowed until noon. In the restaurant everyone was gathered around the TV set by the bar... incredulous... watching CNN. The news confirmed that the storm was a dangerous Cat 5 hurricane and that because of its low barometric pressure, it was now the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin. And it was coming directly toward Cozumel! It would probably pass over the island Thursday night and Friday morning.
I was stunned! One of my my non-diver "buddies" burst into tears. Edgar, a resort maitre d' , was standing nearby and seemed surprised that we would be upset. He reassured us that the hotel was strongly built and that we would be safe. Nevertheless, I wanted us off that island!
However, there was a little problem. Divers are not supposed to fly within 24 hours of multiple dives or they risk the serious medical consequences of decompression sickness (a build up of carbon dioxide in the body to dangerous levels, resulting in possible paralysis or death). Al and most of the other divers had done two dives yesterday morning and two more last night. Even if we could get a flight out of Cozumel, Al couldn't fly until Thursday morning. I certainly wasn't going home without him. We were stuck!
The day progressed slowly. The water was too rough for snorkeling. No one could go out on the boats. Larry, Darlene, Pat and Phil actually did a shore dive with Mike for one of their specialty dive certifications. Some people went into town. Others basically hung out around the resort… talking in groups, watching the waves and going back and forth to the restaurant to catch the storm coverage on CNN and the Weather Channel.
Not everyone was as alarmed as I was about our situation. Divers are an intrepid lot and some actually seemed to be looking forward to the experience. Many people expected that we would be still be able to fly home on Saturday. At the pool, I overheard some people from one of the other groups laughing about how they might be able to get free airline tickets that day by offering to give up their seats. Hmm... I thought... they just might change their minds about this after experiencing a Category 5 storm!
The resort staff was busy making storm preparations. They removed outside furniture and anything that could act as a projectile including various sculptures in the courtyard. They boarded up the glass doors and windows of the restaurant on the lower level (the upper level had storm shutters) and taped all the other windows. Guests in the most vulnerable oceanfront rooms were moved to rooms back further near the courtyard. That included Al and I and Larry and Darlene. The four of us were now in rooms overlooking the courtyard. Al and I were on the second level and Larry and Darlene were just above us. Glass was removed from the rooms that had been vacated and the rooms were stripped of bedding and anything not nailed to the walls! Since almost everything in the SCC rooms is concrete (including furniture) or tile, the management feels that it is better to let the water come in and dry out the rooms later.
Al, Shirley and I headed down to Cheddraui, the local Mexican superstore, to get some storm provisions (extra bottled water, granola bars, cookies) . We expected huge crowds and long lines, as is the case at home when even four inches of snow is predicted! We were surprised to find the store no more crowded than we had found it two days before. It seemed to be just business as usual with the Cozumel locals. These people certainly didn’t seem to be panicking and they certainly weren’t hoarding!
Later, we went into town with Phil and Pat. It was obvious that the locals were expecting a storm, but there was no real sense of urgency. The shopkeepers were beginning to put things away, but they were still out urging us to come in, see the merchandise and take advantage of "hurricane" prices. I bought a bracelet that I wore throughout the storm. It was my "Wilma" souvenir.
The skies began looking very dark and ominous and we cut our town visit short, hopping in a cab, and returning to the resort just as squall hit the island. It was violent, but brief. People were out again soon, talking about the letter that the management was circulating announcing that there would be a meeting after dinner for all guests to go over procedures for the hurricane. We watched as the big cruise ships left the island and joked about stowing away. (Some of us weren't joking!)
There was a mixture of merriment and nervousness at dinner that night. Low lights in the restaurant and candles on the tables gave what I felt was an eerie feel to the surroundings. Someone from another group had purchased pirate hats and passed them around to everyone. Partying and laughter from one table contrasted with a more subdued mood at another. Al had brought his laptop computer to the restaurant and people were using it to call home using the "Skype" program via the internet. Larry and Darlene were able to connect with Kevin and later in the evening, I was able to talk to both Jay and Jeff and to my sister Dorothy.
After dinner, Tim and Patricia, the resort managers, held a meeting at which they told us what they knew about the impending hurricane and what procedures we would be following in the resort. There were approximately 82 who would be weathering the storm. (Ours was a group of 24 and there was another large group from Oregon; a midsized group from Kansas City; and others traveling independently). We would be
confined to our rooms from Thursday evening, when the storm was expected to hit, until sometime Friday afternoon, when it was expected to have passed. There would be an island-wide curfew beginning about 3 PM on Thursday. Most of the resort staff would be leaving to go to their homes or to shelters before the curfew. Two staff members would remain behind with us, in case we needed help. The island would turn off the electricity when the storm became intense. There would be no running water. Barrels of water would be placed in the hallways for flushing the toilets. (Al and I would have to get individual containers because our room did not share a common hallway). We would be given candles, bottled water, and food for Thursday night and Friday morning (sandwiches, fruit, etc.). The staff would be back when the storm subsided, sometime Friday afternoon, and would serve us lunch. The resort had backup generators which would come on after the storm subsided.
The managers were calm and assuring. We would be fine. The windows would hold. The concrete walls were strong. We were in the safest place on the island.
After the meeting broke up, groups lingered in the restaurant, talking, monitoring the reports on the TV. It didn't look good for Cozumel.