Hurricane Jimena headed for Cabo San Lucas as Cat4 storm - hotels, cruise lines preparing

Photo Courtesy of National Hurricane Center 

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At 5:00AM PDT, the National Hurricane Center issued Advisory # 11A:

A hurricane watch is in effect for the southern portion of Baja California peninsula from Bahia Magdalena southward on the West Coast and from San Evaristo southward on the East Coast, including Cabo San Lucas.  A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible in the watch area usually within the next 36 hours.

At 5:00 AM PDT the center of Hurricane Jimena was located about 370 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas.  Jimena is moving toward the Northwest at nearly 8 miles per hour.  A gradual increase in forward speed and a turn toward the North-Northwest is expected in the next day or so.  On the National Hurricane Center's forecast track, Jimena will be approaching the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula on Tuesday. 

Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph with higher gusts.  Jimena is an extremely dangerous category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.    Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 80 miles. An Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate Jimena today.

Overview:  Tropical Depression 13E formed on the evening of 8/28 from a large area of disturbed weather having been stimulated by a tropical wave. TD13E was upgraded to Tropical Storm Jimena at 3AM MDT on 8/29. Build rapidly, Jimena became a Category 1 Hurricane at 9AM, six hours later. Jimena became a Category 2 Hurricane on the afternoon of 08/29. Jimena became a Major Hurricane during the night of 08/30 and was upgraded to Category 4 in the 9AM release on 8/30. Hurricane Watches were issued for much of the tip of Baja California Sur at 9PM on 8/30.

Here is a video telling more about hurricanes are formed and develop:

Twitterers in the Baja California Sur state, in particular from the Los Cabos area, are making preparations for the impending landing of Jimena.  Hotels, stores, homes are boarding up windows and stocking in supplies for what could be only the second Category 3 hurricane to make landfall in 52 years of record keeping and possibly the most powerful storm to make landfall in Baja.

Cruise lines are adapting their Mexican Riviera itineraries.  Here are the latest revisions and updates:

• The Carnival Elation August 29 departure from San Diego will visit Catalina on Tuesday and Ensenada on Wednesday.
• The Carnival Splendor August 30 departure from Long Beach will visit Catalina on Monday and Ensenada on Tuesday.

Royal Caribbean may alter plans for the “Mariner of the Seas” this week due to the storm.

Check back regularly with Seattle Travel Industry Examiner for updates.

Email Seattle Travel Industry Examiner your experiences with your preparations and experiences with Hurricane Jimena, or Twitter (with #Cabo) about your experience to be included in a followup report.

You can contact Carlanne via email:  travelindustryexaminer@gmail.com

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