My D is vacationing near Puerto Vallarta, and was unable to get out since flights and buses were cancelled early today. Does anyone else have relatives or friends in the path of one of the most powerful storms in history? If so, what do you hear from them regarding evacuation etc.? D’s hotel was not evacuated, and likely won’t be. She is staying a little farther north of the expected landfall location, but this storm is so massive that that may not matter as far as safety. One of the news articles I read said the reporter had visited a supposed shelter, but no one was there. Another news article cites a hotel owner who reports not being told where to evacuate the tourists.
" Another news article cites a hotel owner who reports not being told where to evacuate the tourists." That’s disturbing but not surprising.
She needs to get as far away from the coast as possible to avoid the impending storm surge. Does she have a way of moving further inland without getting stuck in the open? Does she know what sort of shelter is available if she has to stay in place?
How high is her hotel, elevation wise?
I have a friend who has a condo in PV. I messaged him this morning, no answer.
Since it’s so late, a friend advised me that she should stay in place to avoid getting stuck in possible mudslides. The hotel must have an evacuation area within the hotel possibly high up and away from the storm surge. Stay away from windows.
I assume, since it’s so late in the game, that she needs accumulate some water and food. After the storm there will more than likely be no running water and who knows about the food. The aftermath and the subsequent lack of power and water is going to be an issue for days and possibly weeks. And pull out some money from the ATM now.
You might find some people posting on tripadvisor, I know that when I had friends stuck in Cabo during the last big hurricane, they found it very helpful. (they were stuck there for two weeks with no power, water and only the food they saved)
www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g150793-i46-Puerto_Vallarta.html
Scary GFC, it’s a shame she couldn’t get out yesterday or the day before, but the hotel operator should be on top of what she should need to do until the Hurricane subdues and planes start running again. When that happens probably has alot to do with how much, if any, damage occurs at the airport plus electricity etc. Thinking about you in this stressful time.
@TheGFG - while I like to think of myself as somewhat calm in situations like this, and believe so many stories are over exaggerated, if it were my kid in Puerto Vallarta right now, I’d probably be panicking… just a bit. You have to hope that the kind of hotel she’s staying in is hugely reliant on American tourism and they are prepared for the worst (although how do you prepare for the worst when it’s never happened?) because if they screw up… they will lose American tourism dollars and their livelihood forever.
Regardless, many of the suggestions in #4 seem like a really good idea! Good luck to her! You might have a sleepless night or two until it’s over.
Since I have loved ones in Texas, I’ve been following this storm, only for the information they’re providing on what’s going to happen there after it comes inland.
If you can get a text to her ---- also advise that she should continue to charge her phone and at the same time place it on power-saver mode. If she is left to her own devices in a room she should have someone help her place her mattress over the largest window in the room. Be proactive and though she should heed warnings and advice of the hotel management she should also look to her own personal safety and well being.
The longest night of my life was 10 years ago when I tried my best to shepherd D (long distance-via a cell phone)out of New Orleans while Katrina bore down. Hang in there.
Thanks all! I know she was getting water and charging her phone and computer. I will suggest the mattress idea! When the bus company cancelled her trip, she had considered renting a car to drive to the house of a college friend’s family in Guadalajara. However, she does not know the area at all, it would be a 5 hour trip, and was worried about getting caught in the middle of nowhere in blinding rain or mudslides.
Good thoughts to her, The GFG. Keep us posted.
Oh heavens, you don’t want a single girl driving through the Mexican countryside by herself, if not for the crime risk alone, much less if she got caught in the weather unprepared!
I guess her only consolation would be, with the storm coming, most criminals and thugs probably are concentrating on their own survival to care about threatening anyone right now!
Also—even after placing the mattress on the window, she will probably want to spend the night in the bathroom. Again hang in there. ( she might think that the mattress is over-kill, but when the winds start it will may be too late. With a storm this size you need every advantage you can grab even though it may seem silly at the time )
Hopefully they have some kind of storm shelters. I agree with others, tell her to try and stockpile food and water, obviously with the food things like crackers and peanut butter and the like,that will keep. Hopefully the US will make an effort to help US citizens get home from there, but there is likely to be a period when she will need to keep herself going. If the hotel has any kind of emergency supplies, like a flashlight, that would be valuable as well.
Depending on the design of the hotel, if they don’t have areas in the hotel designated as shelters, like a basement area, then she should stay away from any of the windows, oceanside or not, if the winds keep up it is possible they will crack or break, especially if there is flying debris. If it is a typical hotel room, where the bathroom is usually by the door to the hallway, that may be a safer place to stay when it hits. If it has a bath tub, she may want to fill it, if for anything to be able to use it in the toilet (I don’t know how good the water is at the hotel for drinking, if it otherwise is decent then it also will serve as an emergency backup drinking water supply, if you cannot get bottled water). If she can get it, a battery powered radio might be useful, though being in mexico I don’t know if she could get an english language broadcast if the stations are broadcasting, but might be valuable in the aftermath. Though it is a fire hazard, she also may want to see if she can find candles as a light source if/when the power goes out.
One other thought (and others might have an idea if this valuable or not), might be checking the US State department website to see if they have any specific instructions with US citizens being in the path of the storm. For example, could they be collecting the names and location of US citizens known to be in the storm zone, so when the relief phase happens the US consulate knows what they are dealing with? I have never been through something like that, but thought I would throw that out there for the OP.
I suggest that if she isn’t at a hotel with a storm shelter, she should go right now to a hotel that does have a storm shelter.
The good news is Puerta Vallarta seems to be protected by mountains between it and where Patricia will make landfall. It’s going to be a bad storm, but not catastrophic there. Now, south of Puerta Vallarta is bad.
I just heard on the news that American tourists had been evacuated. I guess not all of them. 
In a traditional hotel with corridors, the safest place is likely the hallways, if they don’t have huge windows. The bathroom is good too.
This storm seemed to come out of nowhere. I was not aware of it until yesterday. You must be so worried. I lived through many hurricanes at the ocean front and it’s not fun. I always try to leave if there’s time. In this case I agree she should stay put.
This may sound stupid but would it be a good idea to contact the Embassy to make them aware of her location in case this turns out like Katrina?
Is she with friends…hoping she isn’t alone.
Weather Underground is explaining that the area of landfall (including Puerto Vallarta) has coastal mountains. There will be an enormous storm surge with Patricia, but unlike in places with low-lying coastal areas (eg New Orleans), in the path of Patricia people can easily get high enough to avoid flooding. They can’t avoid the wind, according to Weather Underground, but they can avoid the floods.
Apparently the storm was a tropical storm yesterday and grew to a cat 5 today because of the El Niño. Very scary, it seems to have caught everyone off guard.
Prayers for your D TheGFG.