7pm local time, Hurricane Wilma punished our lovely Riviera Maya coastline for a second day Saturday, ripping away storefronts, peeling back roofs and forcing tourists and residents trapped in hotels and shelters to scramble to higher floors. At least two people were killed.
Wilma, which had weakened to a Category 2 as it inched northward with sustained winds of 100 mph, was expected to pick up speed Sunday, sideswiping Cuba before it slams into Florida. Late Saturday, it was slowly moving back over the Caribbean Sea, and rains and winds were beginning to lessen in Playa del Carmen at nightfall.
As Wilma's eye passed over Playa del Carmen on Saturday, the air became calm and eerily electric. Some residents ventured briefly from their hiding spots to survey the flooded, debris-filled streets.
An outing during the eye's calm revealed a downtown Playa del Carmen littered with glass, tree trunks and cars up to their roofs in water.
Worst in Playa History! Early Pictures of Playa below!
Hurricane Wilma is "relentlessly pounding" the Riviera Maya and the whole Yucatan Peninsula this early Saturday packing 120 mph winds and dumping "tremendous" amounts of rain that may not let up for the next 24 hours. It's a major disaster!
We are taking a fierce battering as the center of this now Category 3 storm is stalling over us.
There is loss of life, flooding, and massive wind damage.
Wilma is being blamed for the deaths of two people after strong winds caused a gas tank to explode in Playa del Carmen yesterday. No deaths have been reported in Cancun and Cozumel but communications are down....so there is no way to really know for now.
At this point, there is no way to tell all the damages but this is clearly the worst in history. Please expect the worst as this thing finishes up with us in the next 24 hours….we will need lots of help – please stay tuned here at PlayaMayaNews.com for more news as we can and later, instructions on how you can help.
Here are the latest numbers on Hurricane Wilma, reported by the National Hurricane Center as of Saturday morning......
Playa del Carmen and Quintana Roo Climbing Out of the Rubble
Thursday, 20 October 2005
This just in from the frontlines in Playa del Carmen…..
Hurricane Wilma came to Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya area with a vengeance last Thursday, but we have survived the worst, and the relief efforts are underway....
MTV Latin American Music Awards Cancelled Due to Hurricane Wilma
Wednesday, 19 October 2005
I WANT MY MTV!
As the town of Playa del Carmen got ready for its biggest media and hollywood frenzy, AKA MTVLA, Wilma was quietly becoming a force to be wreckoned with. She is quiet no more, and has developed into a Category 5 hurricane causing local officals to post a hurricane warning for the Yucatan, and cancel the biggest event to come to our area.
We have recieved many e-mails from people who want to lend a helping hand to those in need afer Hurricane Emily. There are plenty of people who lost their homes, and who need help rebuilding and restoring their homes and lives. Below are a few non-profit organizations who have been working with the local community for years, and who have upstanding reputations in the community as well. Just click on the links below, and you can contact the organizations directlyl. Any help that you can offer will be greatly appreciated!
Emily Aftermath: Riviera Maya Hotel Damage and Information
Saturday, 23 July 2005
We have recieved many e-mails from all over the world asking the state of hotels and resorts in the area.
Many people are worried about family members or are planning trips in the near future, and it is difficult to find detailed information on specific resorts and hotels. Below is information that we were able to find from other sites and resources, and although we believe it is true and accurate information, things are changing from day to day. Please be patient, and we will add information to this link as we learn more.
Hurricane Emily: Her Bark Was Bigger Then Her Bite
Wednesday, 20 July 2005
Well, Hurricane Emily came into the Riviera Maya with ferocity, but due to careful planning, and strong community efforts, loss was relatively minimal.
The hardest hit areas seem to have been just South of Playa del Carmen in Puerto Aventuras (check out the link below for more detailed info on PA), and although they suffered from property damages, thankfully no human casualties have been reported. Everyone is safe, the streets are getting cleaned up, and slowly over the next couple of weeks damages from Emily will start to fade. Below is our latest photo gallery from both before and after the storm hit in Playa del Carmen and the surrounding areas.
Silver; he lived his life how he wanted. We could all learn from him!
As we talked, Arnold’s eyes would sometimes fill with tears as he remembered his old friend and companion, Silver. He said, “Silver always had a human; it wasn’t the other way around”, and he was Silver’s human for several years. Arnold’s brother Wayne owned Pancho’s Hotel on 5th, home of Frida’s , a popular hangout until it closed last year. Wayne would be in and out of town on an irregular schedule, staying for two or three days at a time. Somehow, Silver always knew when he was in and he’d come by to visit. One day six years ago, after they met up at Pancho’s, Silver walked Arnold home and stayed......
Our May and June edition is out! We increased our distribution from 12,000 to 15,000 copies, and we are now printing in full color!
Check below for our many distribution points, and please remember if you would like to see it delivered to somewhere we have not included on our list, let us know, and we will be glad to add you to our list! Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this edition better then before; we appreciate the support and commitment to our community!
Mamitas Beach: A Perfect Night for Music, Fun, and Friends
Thursday, 28 April 2005
By Kristin Hahn
Amazing dancers, purification ceremonies, ambient trance music, the Spanish version of Tainted Love, and a cool crowd, all with the Caribbean Sea, as a background….Could it get any better? I don’t think so. This happened last night at Mamitas Beach, in Playa del Carmen, and it was a blast! An incredible evening of live entertainment, with an enthusiastic crowd, only added to the great atmosphere. The show opened with a Mayan purification ceremony, lead by a Mayan Shaman, then Jorge Reyes came on with his mellow ethereal sounds, when the Aztec dancers burst onto the stage for a sheer sensorial delight! Finally La Union, a Spanish pop/ rock band, with lead man, Rafael Sanchez, rocked the house. From "Tainted Love" to original licks, they left the crowd bopping into the night, and once again, another “never forget moment“was made in Playa del Carmen. If you missed it, be sorry that you did, if you were there, I hope you had as much fun as I did, but either way check out the cool photos below!
Playa del Carmen Getting Completely Clobbered
We have recieved many e-mails from people who want to lend a helping hand to those in need afer Hurricane Emily. There are plenty of people who lost their homes, and who need help rebuilding and restoring their homes and lives. Below are a few non-profit organizations who have been working with the local community for years, and who have upstanding reputations in the community as well. Just click on the links below, and you can contact the organizations directlyl. Any help that you can offer will be greatly appreciated!
We have recieved many e-mails from all over the world asking the state of hotels and resorts in the area. 
Well, Hurricane Emily came into the Riviera Maya with ferocity, but due to careful planning, and strong community efforts, loss was relatively minimal.
By Kristin Hahn