Canadian travellers are being forced to rethink their Mexico vacation plans, as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record barrels toward the country's Pacific coast.
Canadian flights to southwestern Mexico have been grounded, and some Mexican airports have been closed in anticipation of Hurricane Patricia's arrival Friday evening. As a result, many travellers have been stonewalled at Canadian airports, while others are now temporarily stranded in Mexico, where they are bracing for disaster.
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada issued a regional advisory on Friday, ahead of Hurricane Patricia making landfall. The agency is advising Canadians against any "non-essential travel to the coast of Mexico from San Blas to Lazaro Cardenas." That region includes the city of Puerto Vallarta, a popular resort destination for thousands of Canadians every year.
About 2,000 Canadians are estimated to be in Jalisco, a coastal state expected to be strongly hit by the storm, according to a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.
With maximum sustained winds near 325 km/h, the Category-5 storm is the strongest ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere, and its ferocity has forecasters predicting disaster when it makes landfall.
Les Allen, a 56-year-old retiree from Kelowna, B.C., was on the beach in Melaque, Jalisco when he first heard news of Hurricane Patricia Thursday. As it swelled to a Category-5 storm, he packed his things and headed about 50 kilometres inland to the mountain town of La Huerta.
“I feel better than when I was at the beach,” Allen told CTVNews.ca Friday evening as rain battered his brick cabana. “They were predicting 8-metre wave squalls.”
Flooding isn’t a major concern for Allen – he’s staying high above sea level – and he says he hopes the gale-force winds are weakened before reaching the mountains.
“There’s a highway above us that protects us from the wind,” he said. “I’m really hoping that’s going to help us.”
Allen, who typically travels to Mexico for six months each year, insisted that he isn’t “overly religious” but said Canadians should lend their prayers to the people of Mexico.
“Most people are really going to need some financial contribution for the aftermath. It’s going to be hell, it’s going to be total devastation,” he said.
In a written statement released Friday evening, prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau said Canadians’ thoughts are with Mexico.
“Canada stands ready to support the people of Mexico, who I know will continue to exhibit their characteristic courage and resilience in the days ahead,” Trudeau said.
Mexico-bound flights from Canada were already being rescheduled on Friday morning, several hours before the storm was expected to hit. In Edmonton, a Sunwing flight slated to fly out at 6 a.m. was postponed for at least 17 hours to wait out the storm. Sunwing offered passengers the option to reschedule the flight, change their destination, or cancel for a full refund.
Diana Castro, who was headed to Mexico for a vacation with her young family, said she'd rather reschedule than put her children at risk.
"They're sad, but we're telling them we're going, maybe within the next week or two," she told CTV Edmonton. "We're still going to have our vacation."
Emily Leonard, whose flight was also cancelled, said she plans to "stick it out" and catch the next plane to Mexico, after the worst of the hurricane has passed.
"We're supposed to go zip-lining and horseback riding up a mountain, and I don't think that's going to happen now because it's supposed to be raining all week," she said.
One group of young men had to cancel a trip planned to celebrate their friend's 30th birthday. "Our thoughts right now are that if the hurricane does hit, the resort's probably going to be in pretty rough condition," Jonathan Derouin, who was part of the group, told CTV Edmonton.
Several resorts in Puerto Vallarta were evacuated ahead of the storm, with vacationers relocated to Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state.
The Embassy of Canada in Mexico has warned Canadian tourists to seek shelter or leave the affected area of Mexico by road, as soon as possible.
Resorts at Puerto Vallarta have already been boarded up, and while many tourists have been relocated inland, others were still waiting on Friday afternoon.
The skies in Mexico City remained bright and clear Friday afternoon as signs of the impending storm had yet to reach the capital, located in the country’s centre.
“We’re having a lovely day here. The sun is shining and its beautiful day,” said Sister Anne Wachter, the head of Sacred Heart School in Halifax, who was in town for an education conference.
Wachter said the hurricane may affect her Sunday plans to travel to Guadalajara, a city about 300 kilometers from the coast by road. She also expressed concern about how the country will cope with the potentially devastating storm.
“I think it will affect the whole of Mexico. It’s a country where everyone wants to help everyone else when people are suffering. It’s a country of people with big hearts,” she said.
