Monday, October 13, 2008

Hurricane Norbert

Hurricane Norbert has made it's way across the baja penisula over the weekend and has weakened significantly after hitting the mainland. The eye of the hurricane was just 60 miles south of Loreto as it came over the Sierra La Gigante mountains. As with Tropical Storm Julio, there was 4-6 inches of rain, flooding in low spots and some wind. The damage was minimal to the Loreto area vs where the hurricane hit land at Puerto San Carlos on the pacific side of the Baja. The mountains do act as a protective perimeter to the Loreto area and we consider ourselves extremely lucky to have chosen to have our home here.

In contrast, homes and buildings in Puerto San Carlos were damaged, roofs torn off, palm trees uprooted and the entire area had significant flooding. This is very concerning as this is the town located on the Bahia de Magdalena where the whales migrate to have their calves. The bay is very protected and they stay the winter until the calves are old enough and strong enough to make the trek to the pacific northwest. Tourism is essential for the survival of this area and they have such a short time period to rebuild and recover for the 2008-2009 whale migration season which is from December through the end of March each year. Its been a very active hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific region, but it's almost over.........and then we can enjoy the very mild and pleasant winters of the Baja.

On a more positive note, this weekend is a planned Homeowners event in Loreto Bay. However due to limited airline flights the event will be much smaller than originally anticipated. Loreto Bay has thus planned another event for December 4-7th. Its a great opportunity for homeowners to get caught up on the progress of their home construction, speak with vendors for landscaping, furniture, electronics as well as socialize with their new neighbors. I am planning on attending the December event to follow up on some minor items with my home and take advantage of the time to get to know my neighbors better myself. Owners in Loreto Bay come from all over, WA, OR, UT, CA, AZ, CO, TX, the midwest and Canada as well. We all have varied backgrounds, some are self employed, others nearing retirement, and others with families, but what we all share in common is realizing the peace and beauty of Loreto.

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