"n late October of 2005, as the hurricane season was winding down, we kept one eye on Tropical
Storm Wilma as she wandered aimlessly in the open sea. We assumed that sooner or later she would
Wilma began to strengthen and head more in our direction. Then, with true alarm, we watched her
intensify explosively, in just 24 hours, from a tropical storm to a Category Five hurricane. The most
intense storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin was taking aim on Cozumel. We realized that a mega-
hurricane would be on our doorstep within the next 48 hours.
2-Fortunately here in Cozumel the buildings and houses are constructed to withstand hurricanes. They are
built with reinforced concrete and block so there is not the problem of evacuating the entire citizenry.
Public refuges were provided for those few whose homes were not safe enough.! For safety, the power grid
was shut down too; so downed electric cables lying in the street would not be a hazard in the aftermath.
3-Wilma roared in right on schedule, and she howled and pounded us for 65 hours! We were allowed only
a brief respite when the eye passed directly over the island. The monster then stormed off to terrorize
Cancun leaving Cozumel battered and temporarily out of contact with the rest of the world. We found
ourselves without electricity, communication, or running water, and no way off the island. Venturing
outside, I saw that the power lines and poles were a tangled spider web lying in the flooded streets, and
the normally magnificent greenery bare and broken. The waterfront structures, restaurants and shops
essential to most everyone's income, were severely damaged.
4-That night, looking out over the normally vibrant city now pitch-black and silent, one would think that
Cozumeleños would have despaired- but they did not. Once it was discovered that everyone was safe, they
breathed a collective sigh of relief, and immediately began planning for our recovery.
5-The moment it was over, with black skies and seas still churning, the Cozumeleños hit the streets.
Mostly on foot, as the streets were blocked with power poles and debris, they checked on friends and
relatives the old-fashioned way. The conversation on every corner was the same- "Did you see so and so?
Are they okay? Did their home survive?" We were like tourists in our own town, wandering around
gawking at everything, snapping photos and staring in amazement at the visions of ruin before us.
6-But there was no aimless waiting around for help here. The next day a chorus of saws, hammers, brooms
and chainsaws could already be heard. The government was out in force too, assessing the damage,
distributing supplies and gearing up for the big cleanup. Food packages were delivered door-to-door, one
for each citizen, full of the essentials of life in Mexico- rice, tortilla flour, beans, sugar, coffee, and even
cookies for the kids.
7-The island was quickly a flurry of activity - demolishing, cleaning, building, fixing, and painting. Pier
reconstruction was a hot activity. Most businesses used their own staff to perform repairs, thereby keeping
their employees working despite the lack of tourism. Waiters and busboys became painters, divemasters
and scuba instructors poured concrete, boat captains and their first mates moonlighted as landscapers.
These men and women took great pride in their work, knowing that they themselves were helping to get
their regular jobs rolling again, as soon as possible.
