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Miraculously, Chan Nahil
survived the worst hurricane in Cozumel's history without a scratch! There were no broken windows (The
pile of shattered glass below came from another house!), barely
any debris (a broken flower pot, a few twigs, and 2 pieces of wood paneling), and just a few patches of water from 4
SOLID days of intense hurricane winds and rains. (Hurricanes usually pass in
4 HOURS, not 4 DAYS!) This choice of location was a very conscious
one: First, Chan Nahil is
sandwiched between 2 other houses, eliminating 2 of the 4 sides that would
be vulnerable to the wind. Also, it's in a higher lying area, so if there
are heavy rains, they will run off to lower lying areas. Third, it's
cement and cinder block construction, and with the other two buildings
attached, but each with independent structural walls, makes it as sturdy
as a tank! |
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Sadly, the rest of the island
wasn't nearly as lucky. The worst hurricane in Cozumel's history left
many without food, water, and shelter. It took 2 weeks for electric
and water to be restored, but unlike the USA's slow response to Katrina,
islanders were receiving water, rice, beans, and oil in food drops just 2
days after the storm left. Never have I seen such a concerted effort
by people to get this island back on its feet. We could all learn
something from this 3rd world tropical paradise. |
