The governor of the state of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, took a moment during her tour to check out the damage caused by Hurricane Beryl — now downgraded to a tropical storm — in that region of southeastern Mexico to eat some “taquitos.” Lezama bought some carnitas tacos, a traditional Mexican dish, to send the message to her constituents that everyday life was returning to this paradisiacal state of beaches and jungles. “We are reactivating the economy, we want everything to return to normal as soon as possible,” said the governor while her order was being prepared at the taco shop she visited in Tulum, the entry point of the storm and where she set up the command center to deal with the emergency. Lezama had been betting since mid-Friday on reactivating the local economy, so one of her first measures was to suspend the prohibition that prohibited the sale of liquor and encourage businesses to reopen their doors. In Cancun, one of the most important tourist cities in Mexico, the afternoon was once again moving with the tropical rhythm of music playing on the speakers, open bars and tourists with their margaritas in their hands. The ghostly city of a few hours before gave way to the vibrant city yearned for by millions of travelers from all over the world. A postcard is a good example: a Korean couple was taking photos in front of that mesmerizing Caribbean blue, the sign that everything was back to how it was before the storm.
The sun was shining again and the wooden boards covering the windows of bars, restaurants, banks and hotels were quickly removed by an army of workers who also seemed eager to return to routine. Many travelers who nervously occupied rooms in the hotels further from the beach were packing their bags, while others were checking the status of their flights, after the cancellation of more than 200 at the Cancun airport before the impact of the hurricane. BerylEven the delivery people from food delivery apps were back on the streets of the tourist city on their bicycles or motorbikes, once again delivering food in a city where supermarkets closed for 24 hours. Bank ATMs started to dispense money again and foreign currency exchange offices opened their doors again. By mid-afternoon, the confinement and nerves of the night were an ugly nightmare for the residents and travelers of Cancún.
Lezama was delighted with what she called a “clean record,” meaning no major damage or fatalities to mourn after the storm. The governor posted an image on her X profile (formerly Twitter) in which she called on people to visit the Caribbean under the slogan “storms also pass.” She assured travelers that local infrastructure had not suffered significant damage and that hotels had all the standards to continue receiving visitors. Beyond some minor power outages in Cancun on Thursday night and in other areas of the state, Beryl passed without causing major trauma, despite having been considered a “major storm” of great danger by the National Hurricane Center. Lezama had mobilized state officials and had asked the Army and Navy for help in organizing a system of prevention and response to the emergency that included the creation of hundreds of temporary shelters, where thousands of people were transferred from the most vulnerable areas. The military also set up security posts on beaches and tourist centres and mobilised aid for those who might have been affected, which the local government expected to number more than 150,000. On Friday afternoon, army trucks continued to distribute food in the towns most affected by the heavy rains.
In neighboring Yucatan, the good news also made Governor Mauricio Vila breathe easy. The PAN member reported minor damage in towns in the east of his state, which suffered the greatest impact of the storm. Flooded streets and fallen trees due to strong winds were reported by residents of Valladolid, where there were also power outages. Civil Protection authorities continued with the reconnaissance work and aid to those affected, but in general it was estimated that the storm did not cause the damage that was expected days before. The government set up more than 1,000 temporary shelters, many of them in public schools, which, Vila said, will continue to operate. The rains continued on Friday afternoon in that state, but with weakened force after Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm. Vila maintained the alert due to the forecasts of downpours issued by the national Meteorological System.
Marine transport companies announced that they would resume their services normally in Quintana Roo, which meant restoring connections with important tourist spots such as the islands of Holbox and Mujeres, Playa del Carmen or Cozumel. Urban transport was also restored. Flights were returning to normal at the Cancun airport. The national coordinator of Civil Protection, Laura Velázquez, reported during the morning that the airports of Tulum, Cancun and Chetumal, which receive thousands of tourists every day, have not been affected. The authorities were relieved to celebrate the good treatment given to them by the authorities. Berylespecially since the disaster caused by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which destroyed Cancun and left it isolated, is still alive in this region. The horrible experience of last year with Hurricane Otis in Cancun also weighed heavily. That is why Governor Lezama had reason to celebrate on Friday by lifting the ban on the sale of alcohol and eating some tacos de carnistas. The tourists trapped on Thursday night in their hotels in Cancun thanked her by filling their glasses with margaritas.
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