Vallarta Blog

…Rain under leaking roofs … in pv.

Moderate earthquake rattles residents of Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta; no injuries reported.

A lot of newspapers online are reporting on the 5.2 earthquake on wednesday night, I cant say that I actually felt it here in Puerto Vallarta, in fact I for sure didnt feel it. I havent heard anything about it locally and no one else seems to have felt it????

On an off note, notice this article first states that preliminary measurement of the earthquake was 4.9 then goes on to say the preliminary measurement was 5.2, which one was it?? .3 definately isnt much to be finicky about, more so I am wondering; how come nobody who lives here felt it?

HHHmmmmmmmm……also there is absolutely no local coverage on this earthquake and no local coverage of anyone “in the street” because of it.

MEXICO CITY– A moderate earthquake rattled a long stretch of Mexico’s Pacific coast late Wednesday, sending panicked residents into the streets. There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.

The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9, happened at 10:42 p.m. local time and was centered offshore 50 miles west of Manzanillo, a city on the coast of the state of Colima, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It struck about 6 miles beneath the ocean floor.

Mexican officials measured the preliminary magnitude at 5.2. It was felt as far north as the Pacific resort city of Puerto Vallarta, about 170 miles north of Manzanillo.

“It was felt strongly, but fortunately there is no damage, just a bit of alarm in the community,” said Nicolas Mendoza, an official with the civil protection department for the state of Jalisco, where Puerto Vallarta is located.

Update thursday Aug.24, from Los angeles Times

MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Dean saved some of its worst for last, killing eight people after shrinking to a rainy tropical depression over central Mexico, authorities reported Thursday.

In the state of Puebla, a family of four, including two children, died when a mudslide hit a highway overpass Thursday and crushed their car, state civil-protection authorities said. Wednesday, a government official died in a car wreck while checking for damage during the storm, and a 76-year-old man was killed when part of his house fell on him.

A 35-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl died after a roof collapsed Wednesday in the state of Hidalgo, state authorities said.

Another man died trying to ford a rain-swollen river in Veracruz state on Wednesday. But because he ignored warnings from rescue personnel, state officials said they would not count his death in the storm total.

The same held for a man who was reported electrocuted by power lines while trying to secure his roof before the storm hit Wednesday morning.

The storm toll in Mexico brought the total number of fatalities associated with Dean to 28, most in the Caribbean. The hurricane had reached its full strength, Category 5, when it struck a relatively isolated stretch of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday. So far no deaths have been reported there, although property damage was extensive.

Officials said Thursday that about 90,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in Mexico , with an estimated 60,000 people in shelters overnight Wednesday. The Yucatan lost nearly 400 square miles of crops.

After Dean landed on the Veracruz coastline Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane, it quickly began to lose strength. Within hours it was downgraded to a tropical depression. But its arrival near the end of central Mexico’s rainy season caused some landslides and flooding.

By Thursday afternoon, the rains had stopped and Hurricane Dean was done.

Here in Puerto Vallarta we felt the repercussions of Hurricane Dean Wednesday night and all day Thursday the 23. The heavy rains, wind and cool weather brought out the quiet side of this usually happening city. With traffic at a slow minimum, everyone tried their best to stay out of the rain.

Could this finally be the start of the “rainy” season here in Vallarta? With the highest average falling in the months of August and September although the rainy season falls may-Oct, summer.

Vallarta sure seems to get a lot of rain in the fall, this summer with the rain averaging below normal for the area; the humidity often builds up to 90% and more hanging over the city for days on end. With that kind of intense pressure rain is needed to cool down the earth, coming in as early evening storms, lightening and thunder rocking Bahia de Banderas.

We were lucky looking at the magnitude of this category 5 hurricane, fortunately some areas were spared that initially looked  as if they would be hit harder by Dean, of course as nature works some areas were not as fortunate.

Well, it is finally upon us; rainy season is here in Puerto Vallarta. We have had few cloudy rainy days this past couple of weeks and some big thunderstorms but beyond that its not as rainy as I remember it being last year or the year before. Perhaps it is just my thinking this or perhaps it’s just the usual slow start before the major storms.

All in all it hasn’t been bad, actually it is downright enjoyable when the clouds finally give in and start dropping down the moisture hanging so heavily in the air. The heat of the rainy season here in Vallarta is so different then in the winter, while still sunny and hot the average humidity is at around 90 %, making it hard to want to be doing any kind of work outdoors, unless it involves the ocean or a nice pool!

I like the rainy season and continue to enjoy every downpour we get, maybe because I grew up on the west coast of Canada, well known for its rain three quarters of the year. I am used to the rain and don’t mind getting caught in the occasional deluge, walking with the rain instead of trying to get away from it, ducking under a overhang or possibly into a favorite café or bar attempting to wait out the storm.

The surrounding mountains of Vallarta are growing green again; the small huts tucked into the foliage that are visible in the dry season disappear, turning into just a small light in the night forest. Grass causing curbsides to disappear, stairs often used growing narrow with the plant life renewing its hold on our man made world.

My favorite part about this rain may be the fresh scent of everything after its been washed clean, the lush scent of this tropical rainforest erasing the smell of hot dusty days. Yes, its rainy season again, time for all the flora and fauna to come back to life; land crabs and butterflies, mangoes and fresh herbs, I love the rain!

Rainy season also adds the opportunity to indulge oneself a little and enjoy the calm relaxed atmosphere that comes along with low season in any tourist driven city, all of my snowbird friends have gone home to enjoy the summer in another paradise, and although I love them all it does get to be quite the endless party! These are a few of my favorite things to do to get out of the heat for a little during the rainy season.
 
Enjoy it; being such a warm rain I sometimes like to just go walk around with the full intention of getting soaked, it’s a lovely shower not to mention during the hard downfalls there is the electric current of a storm racing through the air which adds a thrilling edge to the adventure.

Lounge around the pool or beach with a good book; a cold drink and some shade nearby. Extra fun at the beach or a lively poolside as a lot of Mexicans are on vacation and the families always are having fun. With so many choices of beaches in Vallarta it shouldn’t be hard to find one nearby that suits your action level (amount of people, water clarity, waves). If you don’t have a pool available to you many of the bigger resorts offer a day pass for onsite pool use.

Take in a movie; I use the rainy season as a good excuse for this as the air-conditioning provides some great relief if you have been walking around town doing errands or anything that requires a lot of time in the sun. There are many movie theaters here in Vallarta and the surrounding areas, check local listings for times of showings and language choices. I like to bring my own popcorn, I am still not sure if this is “allowed” but as I haven’t been stopped yet I guess I will just remain unaware of the rules, unless it becomes an issue.

Go to a favorite air-conditioned pub; giving myself the excuse of heat as to not feel guilty for sipping a pint or two in the middle of the day. It is extra nice if you bring friends and possibly play a game of cards, pool, darts or dice. (This is the most indulgent of the laziness I feel when the humidity is high.)

Go for a swim; the ocean is like a warm bath right now and there definitely have been times I felt like I never wanted to get out. The first summer I was here in Vallarta the tempeture of the water amazed me and I would spend hours a day snorkeling when I could, in Canada we were lucky to get a warm ocean for a week in august so I feel spoiled when the ocean is warm and flat.

Take in the growing greenery; there are many nature walks and tours to go on, getting lessons on natural flowers and plants is exciting and during the rainy season so very beautiful and diverse. The Vallarta Botanical Gardens is having an orchid series, to find out more about tours and lectures contact them or check out there web page online. Or take advantage of the rain and work on your own garden; with water like this your plants will flourish to giant proportions!