As Hurricane Odile was bearing down on Cabo San Lucas and elsewhere in Baja California Sur on Sunday evening, local business owners took to Facebook to post their concerns.
“This will give you an idea of what our seas are like,” reads a post from Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, referring to the image atop this post, which shows the famous arch at Land’s End being slammed by powerful waves. The image was captured by Nathalia Calvo.
Odile boasted maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (Category 3) as it spun on a course that could lead directly over Baja California’s tip late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
Pisces Sportfishing general manager Tracy Ehrenberg later added, via email: “A couple of docks in the marina have broken off. We are safe at home and it’s dark now, so we can only hear what’s going on but don’t really see anything."
Ehrenberg added: “It surprised us as on Friday it looked like it would pass parallel to us, but offshore. It changed track late yesterday afternoon.”
Odile could score a direct hit on Cabo San Lucas, or skirt the resort city on the Pacific side of the peninsula. But it's so powerful that a hurricane warning was issued throughout much of Baja California Sur, including on the Sea of Cortez side to an area north of La Paz.
At some hotels in Cabo San Lucas, guests were instructed to stay in their rooms and to stay away from glass windows. More than 150 shelters have been established for Baja residents.
A post from George Landrum II in Cabo San Lucas: “All the laundry done, cash machine done yesterday and today, medicines filled for a month, cat and dog food done, water and other assorted drinks done, ice, candles, batteries, thank goodness the stove and grill are on gas! Fingers crossed folks, suerte!”
However, Landrum added: “Gas station lines were very short. It doesn’t look as if many locals are taking this as a real threat.”
In La Paz, Jonathan Roldan of Tailhunter International Sportfishing (and restaurant) wrote: “We're now directly in the crosshairs with a CAT 4 hurricane predicted with rain starting sometime tonite! 120-140 mph winds. We're sandbagging the restaurant.”
Hurricane Odile is expected to remain a major hurricane at least until midday Monday, and to remain at hurricane strength (74-mph winds or greater) well into Tuesday.
–Images courtesy of Pisces Sportfishing and NOAA
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