Otra Vez, Huracán con ZIHsmo

https://youtu.be/N2aTtzy2onU

With Hurricane Trudy sitting off our coast, sleep wasn't easy Friday night. It never did rain and there was barely any breeze, but there was a 4.3 earthquake at 3:36 AM whose epicenter was directly in front of Zihuatanejo's bay, a little ways past La Piedra Solitaria. Didn't feel a thing.

We dodged another bullet. No strong winds. No torrential rains (barely a sprinkle). Lucky us!

Right around dawn the breeze picked up a bit and so did the sound of the waves. Looking out our window I saw the entire beach and the Paseo del Pescador in front of Plaza del Artista were underwater. I went to our rooftop, and by sheer luck I saw the first wave that sent water through the plaza all the way to the street. See the photos below.

We walked over to the museum to check the canal, and it was totally full with waves running into it and continuing up the canal. Waves were just beginning to run through the plaza beside the museum. People were starting to show up, so I took some quick photos and a video. Then we walked down to the plaza by the restaurant El Dani (formerly Daniel's) and the waves were just starting to reach there, so I took some more photos and another video. You can see the videos I filmed on my Facebook, Threads, Instagram, or Bluesky pages.

Some people confused about the waves blamed it on the earthquake. I didn't feel like educating everyone today about the confluence of the storm surge, groundswells (mar de fondo event), Kelvin waves, and extreme tides from the overheated water (El Niño), so I let folks believe what they wanted.

Since the piers were unusable, tourists showed up in droves to Playa Principal and quickly filled the beach and beachfront restaurants. The waves eventually receded from the beach as the storm passed and the storm surge subsided, but the mar de fondo waves were still a bit dangerous for folks who aren't strong swimmers, so the local police were warning people to stay out of the ocean.

The Paseo del Pescador is so full of sand that workers have been at it for hours, and they aren't even halfway done even though it's almost 7:30 PM. Maybe they shouldn't have covered a third of the beach with cement!

The beach is practically gone in front of the Cancha Municipal. Way too much cement too close to the water's edge. Just like when you stand at the edge of the water and the sand washes out from under your feet, the weight from all the cement has the same effect.

Still no lights at the pier, but the mud has mostly dried up.

If you enjoy learning about and experiencing some of our local flora and fauna, El Refugio de Potosí is a center for wildlife conservation and environmental education. Among its attractions, it features a fully reconstructed sperm whale skeleton (the only one in Mexico), an observation tower, a wheelchair accessible footpath for observing local flora and fauna, and a butterfly pavilion. Located near the beach on the road to Barra de Potosí. Perfect for the entire family. (click to enlarge image)
Guide to Activities, Charters & Tours in Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa

¡Cuidemos nuestro patrimonio!
#JusticiaParaAlexSerna
#MásSeguridadPúblicaMenosCemento
#NoPlayasBlueFlag
#PreservemosPlayaManzanillo
#DenunciaElEcocidio

La primera ola que envía agua a través de Plaza del Artista hasta la calle Juan N. Álvarez esquina con Vicente Guerrero.

LLega el agua de una ola hasta la calle. Nota que la calle aún está seca.

Otra toma de Plaza del Artista con agua llegando del mar.

Todo el Paseo del Pescador desde el museo hasta la cancha municipal lleno de agua, piedras y arena.

Las olas empiezan a llegar hasta la plaza al lado del restaurante El Dani, antes Daniel's.

Una panga se llena con agua de las olas.

La playa muy reducida por la marejada ciclónica, las mareas extremas, las olas Kelvin y el incremento en su temperatura por El Niño. O, y también por el cemento que ahora tapa más de un tercer parte de la playa.

El área de los pescadores totalmente inundada.

Un hermoso pelícano en el muelle buscando su sustento. Los embarcaderos del muelle totalmente inútiles. Se ven en la distancia unos troncos flotando usados por los pescadores para orillar sus pangas.

Las olas llenaron con agua del mar la calle Vicente Guerrero hasta la calle Nicolás Bravo.