Hurricane Grace makes a mess of Mexico's Mayan Riviera
Source: AP
By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ
TULUM, Mexico (AP) Hurricane Grace struck Mexicos Caribbean coast just south of the ancient Mayan temples of Tulum on Thursday, tearing the roofs off some homes, knocking out power to thousands and keeping tourists off white sand beaches as it crossed the Yucatan Peninsula.
The push across land weakened the storm, but by evening it was centered back over water the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was again regaining strength as it headed for a collision with the Mexican mainland late Friday or early Saturday.
The Category 1 storm had already soaked earthquake-damaged Haiti, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands en route to a direct hit on the Riviera Maya, the heart of Mexicos tourism industry. Graces center struck just south of Tulum with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kmh), according to the Hurricane Center.
By night, tropical storm-force winds were back up to 65 mph (100 kph) and rising. It was centered about 360 miles (580 kilometers) east of Tuxpan and was heading werst at 16 mph (26 kph).
A road sign brought down by the winds of Hurricane Grace straddles one lane of a highway in Tulum, Quintana Roo state, Mexico, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. The Category 1 storm made landfall at 4:45 a.m., just south of the ancient Mayan temples of Tulum, pelting the Caribbean coast with heavy rain and pushing a dangerous storm surge. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-mexico-caribbean-hurricanes-ac7fbf17a36e7983b14645d909fa117e