Hello and Hurricane Updates from Christi's house in Cozumel...

[renpirate]

Christi,

You really are incredible. Thank you for taking care of our fellow scubaboardians. Stay safe and keep us updated as you can.

 

[djanni]

Christi:

We're wishing you, Mago, Pedro and your lucky guests all the best as you weather this storm. With crossed fingers we're hoping Wilma heads north and you miss the worst she has to offer.

Don and Carol Janni

 

[scubabum2]

Christi,
I've seen your posts on the web and thought it was admiriable for a fellow DFW resident to blow off her career and do what comes to her heart. I will be praying for you guys tonight and I know that Coz will come back from this. Two hurricanes in a year will be a testament to you guys' staying power. Next time I'm in Coz, I will be diving with you.
Yours, Mark

 

[pilot fish]

Checking the board this morning to see if there is any word from Christi. We'd all feel better if we heard from you. Hope the electricity stays on. If you can get a message out, let us know how YOU are and how it is?

 

[SadiesMom]

Christi called me this morning and she and her little gang are doing fine, but understandably haven't slept much all night with the wind howling and things blowing and hitting the house. They'd all gone to various bedrooms to try to get some sleep, but I would imagine they'll all be gathering soon for moral support. They had to turn off the gas yesterday so they can't cook (no coffee!! GACK!) and, of course, the air conditioning is off now that the power's off, so things are starting to get steamy. She should be calling back in a while (assuming the phone's still working) for the next Hurricane Center update and I'll post an update on how they're doing. Keep those thoughts and prayers coming...I know that their anxiety/fear level is on high right now. Coz is really getting pounded hard.

 

[humanphibian]

Prayers to all in QR,...stay safe

 

[robbcayman]

Christi called me this morning and she and her little gang are doing fine, but understandably haven't slept much all night with the wind howling and things blowing and hitting the house. They'd all gone to various bedrooms to try to get some sleep, but I would imagine they'll all be gathering soon for moral support. They had to turn off the gas yesterday so they can't cook (no coffee!! GACK!) and, of course, the air conditioning is off now that the power's off, so things are starting to get steamy. She should be calling back in a while (assuming the phone's still working) for the next Hurricane Center update and I'll post an update on how they're doing. Keep those thoughts and prayers coming...I know that their anxiety/fear level is on high right now. Coz is really getting pounded hard.

Keep the updates coming. If these hurricanes keep coming it might be wise to invest in a generator. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

 

[pilot fish]

Keep the updates coming. If these hurricanes keep coming it might be wise to invest in a generator. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Would ya believeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee pontoons?

 

[Martha]

Christi called me this morning and she and her little gang are doing fine, but understandably haven't slept much all night with the wind howling and things blowing and hitting the house. They'd all gone to various bedrooms to try to get some sleep, but I would imagine they'll all be gathering soon for moral support. They had to turn off the gas yesterday so they can't cook (no coffee!! GACK!) and, of course, the air conditioning is off now that the power's off, so things are starting to get steamy. She should be calling back in a while (assuming the phone's still working) for the next Hurricane Center update and I'll post an update on how they're doing. Keep those thoughts and prayers coming...I know that their anxiety/fear level is on high right now. Coz is really getting pounded hard.

Thank you so much for keeping us updated. My thoughts and prayers are with Christi and all the people of Cozumel.

 

[SadiesMom]

Christi's been calling me regularly to give me updates and have me update her on the satellite images, Hurricane Center updates and posts from you guys and D2D. So as long as the phone hang in there in Coz, I'll post regular updates for you and keep your thoughts and wishes going to her, Jason and his wife (who've been dear friends and dive buddies of mine for a couple of years). Please feel free to post any wishes or thoughts for her, Jason and his wife or Bob and his wife - I'll pass them along next time we talk. (However...please do *not* post anything about future diving/vacations - while I realize that everyone has their own priorities, no one in Coz will know anything about that until this thing is over...let's just keep the focus on the present, OK?)

This last one is from about an hour ago: Please forgive me from copying and pasting what I wrote on D2D:

Just got off the phone with Christi. Exhaustion is setting in as they haven't slept any more than a couple of minutes at a time in over 24 hours. This time, I could clearly hear the wind quite loudly through the phone as we talked. Christi said she was having trouble hearing me over the noise. In looking at the satellite photos, they appear to be in the very worst of the storm right now - with sustained 150 mph winds and gusts to 185 mph.

They currently have water coming into the house through the windowsill tracks and under the doors - this is NOT due to rising water in the street (which is still draining well), but instead to the relentless wind literally blowing it into every crevice. They're busy using every towel in the house to soak it up, but it seems to be a losing battle. They've moved food and all the bedding to the 2nd floor in case of a storm surge, but that's just for emergency preparation's sake - they're well inland and there's no real expectation of that occurring. However, better to be safe than sorry!

It looks like they'll be getting the eye very soon, so they'll have a couple of hours of relief - but then it all starts over again, only this time from the other direction! :::sigh:::. At least, however, this will be the end of it. I've read her all your posts with your thoughts and prayers - they're MUCH appreciated, believe me. Becky and Jason send their love as well and also appreciate your thoughts as do Bob and Noelle (not D2D members, but were staying at Caribe Blu along with Becky and Jason - they're very lovely people - chatted with Bob, too ). While it would've been better for *all* of them to evacuate (Christi included), I'd say that if I were going to get stuck on an island in a Cat 4 hurricane, I couldn't have picked a better group of people to be stuck with - I know Christi feels the same.

So they're all safe for now, if somewhat moist :05: , exhausted and frazzled. The island is getting seriously hammered. This is a dead-on hit with a storm that makes Gilbert and Emily look like nothing. :11:

More when I hear from her next...