You apparently didn't read my post. What I said was, we WERE paying attention to the Weather Channel and the US news channels. It wasn't a hurricane until late Tuesday night and then only a Cat 1 when we went to sleep. Do you evacuate for a Cat 1 hurricane? Do you evacuate for a tropical storm? It was only Wednesday AM when we woke up that we found out it was a Cat 5, and THAT is when we called the airline to try to get out, but it was too late. Even people who called on Wednesday AM and changed their flights to Thursday didn't all get out in time!

Waiting until it was a Cat 5 before you called the airline was a little late, in my opinion. Did you think the Cat 1 Hurricane would just dissipate? Get real.

Exactly my point, WCNS. Let's revisit the actual timeline. I have taken the liberty of removing the data for wind pressures and such for brevity. Monday October 17 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Tropical Depression Twenty-four strengthens into Tropical Storm Wilma. Tuesday October 18 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Tropical Storm Wilma strengthens into Hurricane Wilma. 8 pm EDT (0000 UTC October 19) - Hurricane Wilma reaches Category 2 intensity. 11:15 pm EDT (0315 UTC October 19) - Hurricane Wilma reaches Category 3 intensity (between advisories - time estimated). Wednesday October 19: 1 am EDT (0500 UTC) - Hurricane Wilma reaches Category 4 intensity. 2:30 am EDT (0630 UTC) - Hurricane Wilma reaches Category 5 intensity with a central pressure of 892 mb, tying it for the second most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Friday October 21: 10:30 pm CDT (0330 UTC October 22) - Hurricane Wilma makes second landfall near Cancun, Mexico, again with 140 mph winds. On Sunday and Monday we've been hearing about this tropical depression that might turn into a hurricane. It eventually became Wilma. All day Monday and Tuesday Wilma kept strenghtening. On Tuesday morning it became bad enough to become a Cat 1 Hurricane. By then, if people didn't begin preparations before, they should have been looking for ways to get away from the coastline. Ideas on whether to leave Mexico and go home early or get information for renting a car, catching a bus or whatever could have been checked out. On Tuesday evening that "innocent little wind" became a Cat 2 and about 3 hours later it was up-graded to a Cat 3. By this time people should have decided it was time to leave.. but between the time Wilma reached Cat 1 to the time it was a Cat 2, the winds increased and the severity of the hurricane increased. This gave people about 9 hours to realize that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to stay, ya know. They could have made their reservation changes for planes out, or if they wanted to "think smart" (as some might think of it.. they could have arranged to reserve a car and decided to take a trip into Mexico.. perhaps trying to stick to higher ground. At least that way their precious vacations would not be a total bust.

Ok.. Seeings as you know so very much, can you tell me... how many flights depart Mexico City between the hours of 8 pm Tuesday evening and 1:30 am Wednesday morning. AND... could all 40,000 tourists have gotten out in whole 9 hours that they had to prepare.... Gosh.. 9 hours.. heaven forbid... why didn't all 40,000 go and rent cars... and drive into the badlands to be robbed or possibly killed...

Do I look like Rosemack's personal researcher? Nope, I certainly do not.. if you want data to support your argument then do as I do.. go research it if you don't know. But allow me to show a major flaw in your thinking. I did not only specify planes out, nor did I specify Wednesday.. I gave the timeline from Monday. The problem is that the tropical depression that became Wilma was being watched long before it became a hurricane, but when it elevated to a Cat 1 so fast then people should have immediately made plans to evacuate. When the hurricane began worsening, then employ those plans. You don't wait until a hurricane lands on your happy place to do anything... that is the whole point of what is being said here... and those people did have time to do something other than get stranded. Rosemack, if you opt to be drowned by storm surge rather than getting in a vehicle and driving inland, that is your problem.. don't go blaming it on the "Badlands". How many times do we gotta see the "Badlands" come to the "Good Lands" after some catastrophe hits to wake up and smell the coffee?

Well Mr. Outlooker.... You GIVE the timeline from Monday... but what do you think about the fact that as of the 18th... WHICH would be Tuesday evening... it was still going SOUTH!!!! And... I just wonder how many extra vehicles you think they might have there. Oh, but forgive me for asking you to research that... I thought that was what you did when you tried to prove people wrong.... apparently, you realized when I asked about the flights, if you did research it... you would be wrong.

The "Experts" stated on the 17th, in the news, that Wilma's path was hard to predict.. but they were refering to it hitting the US, not Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. On the 17th Mexico and Cuba had hurricane warnings and watches in effect.. ergo that makes your enite point moot about the 18th. lol

They predicted early on that the tropical storm would become a major hurricane...everything was just right for it to build strenght...I think alot of people were hoping something else would happen, and that the forcasters were going to be wrong, its a tough call when you are faced with a hurricane coming your way! I was in the path when it hit Florida, I was not told to evacuate, I had things packed in case we had to, or felt a need to leave.

I believe that you are right,alot of people was hoping the hurricane would go in such a direction that it wouldn't adversely affect them badly. Instead of seeing what was coming and saying something like "Hey this might not be such a good idea to stay here. What can we do?", they might have watched the weather reports but they mainly went about their business of having an enjoyable vacation. There is also a major difference in people who live in the area not leaving the area and visitors to the area not leaving. At least those living in the area have homes and roots in the area. These vacationers were where they were at to have a good time or for relaxation. Some of the people there were probably on business, but Cancun is a resort area and a place promoted for party and fun.

"Waiting until it was a Cat 5 before you called the airline was a little late, in my opinion. Did you think the Cat 1 Hurricane would just dissipate? Get real. " --------------------------------- You are not being real here. Don't tell me you get up and evacuate whenever there is a severe weather alert issued because I won't believe you. And a category 1 storm is about the same as severe weather. You are talking maybe 24 hours or less heavy rain and wind storm. People take for cover, they do not evacuate to the hills. Again, I'll say people are backseat quarterbacking. Katrina got their attention and now they think they know something about these storms and they really don't. I mean lets talk about last year's storms that hit Cancun or NOLA and then the year before that and the year before that and the year before that and the years before that. then maybe "real" would have more meaning. This has been an extremely unusal storm season but you guys are acting like this is normal and something is wrong with people who do not perceive them as you. It's really not them.

Thank you bdtd100, that's the point I've been trying to make. I have a feeling that it doesn't matter what I say, in some people's eyes all of the tourists were wrong for even BEING in Mexico. Period. Outlooker, you have apparently never been to Cancun before. You mentioned getting away from the coast by renting a car and driving into Mexico. We've been going every year since 1998, and we have always been told that you NEVER venture outside of the tourist area alone, for fear of your life. I believe that it would have been riskier to rent a car and drive into the middle of bandito-land than it was to stay put and let the hurricane have its way with us. To prove that point, I will tell you that the resort had to quickly move us on Sunday night (at about 11 pm) because they had gotten word that the locals (looters) were going to attack us in our shelters. We were moved from the shelter by bus, back to one of the resorts in the Hotel Zone. I'm sure the Mexican government wasn't too happy about that, but it was for our protection. Even though you think we had tons of choices, I am here to tell you we did NOT. We were in a foreign country (yes, by choice), with limited ability to communicate in their native tongue, and we are not wealthy enough to be able to afford to do "whatever it takes" to make things happen. Yes, if I knew then what I know now, I would have called the airline the minute Wilma was given a name. But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20. It has been an experience I will never forget, but also hope to never relive.

I've been to Mexico and Central America... and South America to boot... and I have been in these places long before 1998. I know the warnings and I know the dangers... but are you telling me that you won't risk a possible danger to avoid a real one? That is what it sure sounds like to me. These warnings are given to tourists for normal circumstances. They do not want naive tourists roaming about the countryside willy-nilly and getting in trouble. They are not for emergencies like Wilma. The Tourist Bureau doesn't expect someone to die from a 15 foot wall of water or 130 mph winds because there might be some bandito out there hiding behind a cactus. lol

Actually you are wrong for the lessons of past hurricanes should serve to wise us up for future hurricanes. It doesn't matter if there are 2 or 2,000 hurricanes in a season.. the basic common sense actions for them all still applies. What's worse is that we had numerous hurricanes this year, and two recent ones, to help guide us.. yet people did the same old things, they sat and waited until it was too late. What makes it worse is that we knew this was a season of increased hurricane activity.. that has been all over the media and through out the message boards. So by stating this was an "extremely unusual storm season" it only fortifies the need to use common sense and make good decisions. There is not one thing wrong with people seeing that the intensity of Wilma increased on Monday and call to see about making reservations for a plane or getting a car in case the situation worsened. In fact it is smart to do that. There also isn't one thing wrong with saying "Crap, the big one's coming. Well lets rent a vehicle and make a side trip to a safer area and try to save this vacation!". That is also fairly smart to do. As far as the "Badlands" go, I've driven in Mexico and I know people who have driven from Tucson to Honduras.. and the worst parts are when you cross the borders.. there is no talk of border crossing here. Bad things can still happen, even with out border crossings, but why sit in the path of a Cat 5 hurricane just because you are afraid to drive to the next town or further? Why face a real danger for a possible one? That makes no sense, it's like sitting in a room that is flooding and being afraid to go out the door because maybe there might be a rabid dog out there.

Outlooker, you are exactly right to point out that even AFTER Katrina and Rita, people failed to heed the warnings. It's unbelievable. No one is Monday-morning quarterbacking here. As I pointed out before, most of us here have been through disasters and so we have some real-life perspective. You people put yourselves in this situation first of all by traveling to the tropics in the height of hurricane season, then by failing to take early action. It's plain and simple.

I can see the point of people staying to face a hurricane because they have homes and property that they would like to protect. I don't think it's wise to do so for lost things can often be replaced in time - lost lives can't, but at least those staying in the area they live have some logic and reason attached to it. However these Vacationers who know that a hurricane is coming and choose to stay don't have the same excuses. I've lived in Vegas for many years, which is a prime tourist spot as you know, and I have been many places and the most common reason people give for not altering their vacation plans has been because they didn't want to lose money. The fear of losing anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars always seemed to outweigh the more important things... and that always amazed me. Why would people willingly endanger themselves and their "Loved Ones" for the sake of a few hundred dollars?

Outlooker, with all due respect, I think the point BBB454 made was that there was no advance notice that a catastrophic situation was imminent. The resort he was staying at was a designated hurricane shelter, and the management at his resort was unconcerned about the potential impact. The news reports he was watching forecast the storm to head toward the Cayman Islands, not towards Cancun where he was vacationing. Once he realized that a major storm was heading his way, it was too late to leave. One could argue that it's foolish to vacation in hurricane alley during hurricane season, but BBB454 had been vacationing there at the same time for seven consecutive years without a problem. The hotel he was staying at was a designated shelter. He had no reason to believe that he wouldn't be safe there even if a storm did approach. Ultimately, as we all now know, Cancun wasn't hit by an ordinary hurricane. Wilma was an unusually slow moving and powerful storm. BBB454 hasn't asked for or expected anything from us other than to listen to the other side of the story with an open mind. There was no whining in his narrative, nor was there ever an expectation for the government or anyone else to rescue him. I've made a few decisions in my lifetime that were less than perfect (understatement). We would all make better decisions if we had the benefit of hindsight. Fortunately, BBB454 made it out alive to tell us about his ordeal. Frankly, I appreciate having the chance to read it, and I wish him well.

The object of message boards like these are to discuss and even debate, Abby, they are nor for filibusters or lectures. People did "Listen" to what was said by BBB454, or more accurately read them, and people did respond to to those words... some tended to sided with BB's words, others did not. That is how it goes on these boards. If BBB454 only wants to lecture then perhaps a website or Blog should be created for that purpose. Message boards are not the place to say something and expect everyone to agree with every word. The problem is that I not only read BB's words, but I read the words of others and I read what was in the media. These people were notified, otherwise if they weren't then how did so many get out before the storm with the excuse that they knew the storm was coming? BB made a wrong choice, Abby, Wilma was in the news for days and if a person decides to face down a Cat 3, 4 or 5 hurricane then they take their chances. And you are right, Wilma was a bit unusual but that was expected. I remember 3 days before the Hurricane the weather guessers saying how slow it was moving and how fast it was intensifying. The fact remains that BB made a bad choice either by not paying enough attention or not moving fast enough.. that stuff happens, but it's not right to shift the blame or try to justify those bad decisions as being good ones.

You're absolutely right - the boards are for discussion and debate, not filibuster or lecture. By its very nature this must leave room for multiple points of view. BB may have made a wrong choice, but I think given the information that was available at that time, his choice wasn't so far outside of the realm of being reasonable. Just for the heck of it, here are the forecasts for Hurricane Wilma during the time period that BBB454 referenced. Mon Oct 17-11:00 pm http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al242005.public.010.shtml? http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/graphics/AT24/09.AL2405W.GIF Tropical Storm Wilma forecast to intensify and pass between the Yucutan Peninsula and Cuba on its way to Florida. If I had been a tourist in Cancun, and my hotel were a designated hurricane shelter, I'd probably be comfortable staying put, particularly in light of the fact that the hotel staff was unconcerned. Tues Oct 18-5:00 pm http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al242005.public.013.shtml? http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/graphics/AT24/13.AL2405W.GIF Category one Hurricane Wilma still forecast to pass through the waters between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba, and head towards Florida. Additional strengthening forecast during the next 24 hours. At this point, I would have been cautious and concerned, but might be reassured if the hotel staff felt the structure was sufficient for hurricane shelter. Tues Oct 18-11:00 pm http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al242005.public.014.shtml? http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/graphics/AT24/14.AL2405W.GIF Wilma is a category two hurricane, and forecast to continue strengthening. The forecast track keeps Wilma closer to Cuba than the Yucatan Peninsula, however its rapid intensification should be cause for concern. Wed Oct 19-5:00 am http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al242005.public.016.shtml? http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/graphics/AT24/16.AL2405W.GIF Category FIVE Wilma reported to have the lowest minimum pressure ever measured in the Atlantic. The forecast track still not over land, however, tourists would have good reason to worry about it's potential impact. It is now too late to get a reservation out of Cancun. Wed Oct 19-11:00 am http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al242005.public.017.shtml? http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/graphics/AT24/17.AL2405W.GIF YIKES!!! The forecast track has moved!

Abby, In my opinion, you're putting too much weight in what the hotel staff thinks. Of course, they are getting paid to be unconcerned because they don't want everyone to check out and have an empty hotel. So I would not have relied at all on how they felt. Given the hurricane season we had already experienced before Wilma, I can honestly say that I would have been getting out of Dodge either Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

You would have been right to do that, wncs. I just wanted to point out that staying wasn't outside of the realm of being reasonable, based on the information available at that time. The hotel staff was only one source of information. The weather forecasts were another. We all make decisions based on the information we currently have. Sometimes those decisions would be different based on hindsight. We've all made mistakes at one time or another. This person wasn't complaining or blaming anyone else for his decisions. He was just explaining how he arrived at those decisions, and I could see his point.