Hurricane Jova Puerto Vallarta Update
So far, Hurricane Jova has been a non-event here in Puerto Vallarta. According to weather maps and forcasts we should be seeing heavy rains and winds up to 40 mph, but looking out my window this morning, the winds are dead calm and the rains have been nothing but a steady drizzle all night.
A look at Puerto Vallarta´s Malecon this morning, courtesy of PuertoVallarta.net´s webcam
News reports confirm that Hurricane Jova came onshore last night as a category 2 storm in the sparsely populated southern Jalisco and caused some flooding and downed power lines. The port town of Manzanillo has a lot of flooding and several roads are closed because of it, but so far (thankfully) no reports of injury or loss of life. Many coastal towns evacuated further inland last night and I’m sure we’ll see more reports of damage as these people return to their homes.
I am unaware of any damages here in Vallarta, and althought the storm still has not passed us, it does not look like we will see any major effects from this storm. Jova will come closest later this afternoon, but by then will probably have been downgraded to a tropical storm. The only worry we have left is that the rivers may rise due to heavy rains in the mountains and cause some localized flooding.
Hurricane Jova Watch in Puerto Vallarta
From the CFE website - Forcast of Hurricane Jova's expected path as of 1pm Mexico Central time today, 11 October 2011
Tonight we are all waiting to see how Hurricane Jova is going to play out here in Puerto Vallarta. Hurricane Jova was officially upgraded from a Tropical Storm last Saturday afternoon, and over the ensuing days accelerated steadily to Category 3 status. As late as yesterday, forecasters were anticipating that Hurricane Jova would make landfall tonight as a category 4 hurricane somewhere along Costalegre near Manzalnillo, Colima. Fortunately, rather than accelerating to Category 4 last night, Jova slowed down… It was still at Category 3 speeds this morning, but has slowed significantly in the last few hours and has currently (as of 1 pm Mexico City Time) dropped to category 2 and is still falling. Forecasters are expecting the wind speeds to drop to category 1 levels quickly after making landfall late tonight or early tomorrow with winds in the 120 km/h (75 mph) range.
From the CFE website - Wind spped chart for Hurricane Jova as of 1pm Mexico Central time, 11 october 2011
If everything proceeds as forecast, we should see wind speeds here in Puerto Vallarta of about 65 km/h (40 mph) with heavy rains. Because the course of the storm is expected to go through the mountains east of Puerto Vallarta, the winds hitting Vallarta (due to the storm’s counter-clockwise rotation) will be from the east also, meaning there should not be any significant sea swell in Puerto Vallarta. It was the sea swell that caused the majority of the damage from Hurricane Kenna, the last hurricane to hit Puerto Vallarta back in 2002.
Historically, Puerto Vallarta has always been a safe haven from Hurricanes. Because of the geography surrounding Puerto Vallarta, Large storms either go to the north or to the south. The Banderas Bay’s shape provides protection from the large waves (known as sea swell) that precede hurricanes and the 3 separate mountain ranges that come together just above Puerto Vallarta act as an effective buffer to slow down and redirect the worst of any storm’s effects. Even the famous hurricane Kenna did not actually hit Puerto Vallarta… The center of that storm went onshore about 80 miles north in San Blas. Puerto Vallarta experienced high winds and heavy rains, but relatively little of the destructive force of a hurricane. The only real damage came from the sea swell, which caused fairly extensive damage in a small section of coastline. Before Hurricane Kenna, the last major Hurricane to hit Vallarta was some 80 years prior.
So tonight, all indications are that the storm will not cause any major damage here in Puerto Vallarta… we are making preparations anyway, and schools are suspending classes until Friday to be on the safe side, but we are expecting no more than some high winds and heavy rains. If you own a property here in Puerto Vallarta, I’ll be posting again tomorrow (assuming my internet is working!) with an update. BTW, if you can read Spanish, most of my forecast information comes from the Federal Electric Commission’s website, which I have found to be the most accurate and up to date when dealing with Hurricanes in Mexico. You can find their latest Hurricane advisories here.
While I am pleased that we will probably not experience any severe effects from Hurricane Jova, I don’t want to make light of the storm… it will probably come onshore at at least category 1 strength. Our prayers and best wishes go out to those living in costalegre and Manzanillo tonight.
Hurricane Jova is expected to come onshore tonight near the town of Chamela, Jaisco.
I want to hear your feedback, please leave a comment!
The rainy season and real estate in Puerto Vallarta
The vast majority of US and Canadian tourists that vacation in Puerto Vallarta do so during the winter season, from November to Easter – that time of the year is our “high season”. It is the least hot and least humid time of the year for our tropical town and is a time where one can be 99.99% certain to experience no rain whatsoever. So it makes sense that most people chose winter.
It is during this same winter time that many foreigners will search for, and buy their dream home in the sun. Even after purchase, it is again mainly during this winter period that many vacation home owners will use their property, rarely visiting vallarta during the summer. (This is a generalization and I know of many tourist that actually prefer the summer due to the lower occupancy and spectacular fauna and flora transformation).
For those of us that live here we know how different the summer and winter climate conditions are in Puerto Vallarta, and the drastic effect these 4 months of constant humidity and rain have on houses and condos, especially those that are poorly constructed. If you are buying during the winter, it’s important to keep this in mind and to try to forecast how the property you are buying will react to our summer climate.
Surrounding terrain
The first thing to pay close attention is the surrounding terrain.
Is there a river close by ? (dry or not). Vallarta is surrounded by steep mountains that during the rainy season act as natural water-slides accelerating the rain water down to the ocean. These rivers can be drastically transformed by the rain, and the calm rivers that you see in the winter can become lethal rapids. For example, the youtube video below shows how the downtown Rio Cuale is transformed by the rain.
Also pay attention to dry rivers. For example, the Pitillal river (which runs through Fluvial and joins the ocean at Penninsula) is bone-dry during the winter but becomes a major rain evacuation route during the rainy season.
No river? the rain still needs to get through! If there’s no river close by try to find out how rain water passes through the surrounding terrain. Most roads of Puerto Vallarta don’t have drainage and this transforms some roads (drive-way / gardens / parking lots …) into temporary rivers – which can cause major problems for constructions. Take a look at the video below that shows how one of the main roads in the Pitillal is transformed during heavy rain.
Ideally, you want the surrounding terrain to be leading away from the property. Most of Vallarta is on an incline (leading towards the sea) so rain water will need to move around the grounds. Look for water evacuation routes, drains and any other preventive systems. Pay particular attention to this for constructions with underground facilities or parking lots.
Construction
After evaluating the terrain you will need to look closely at how the property has been built. Which materials have been used? (pay close attention to the extensive use of dry-wall. Dry-wall + humidity = problem). Does the roof have an inclination? Are there any gutters? How old is the building?
Look closely at areas with gaps, pipes, windows, doors, A/C inlets etc. If given a chance, water will find it’s way into any space. Look for leaks in the walls and ceilings. Also look for any miss-match in paint colour. If you see a wall with a clearly fresher line of paint that may indicate a leak stain that has been hidden. Also look for humidity stains, especially in the upper corners of walls on top floors, and the lower corners on the ground floors. Do however keep in mind that in such a humid climate it is very frequent to find some small humidity stains or leaks, even in the best-built homes. Just make sure that you find them, understand them and don’t be frightened to challenge the seller for an explanation about them.
Don’t think that you shouldn’t pay attention to this if you are buying a new construction, or if you are buying a condo on the middle floor of a high tower. Glossy brochures and great sales presentations have no effect on rain and tropical humidity! Obviously, the reputation of a construction developer is very important but check for yourself where possible.
Vegetation
Many new houses in Puerto Vallarta have a flat roof. Before the rainy season starts always make sure the roof is clear from any vegetation that may trap water and humidity. Also consider vegetation and trees surrounding the property. Think about how these affect the surrounding humidity and their potential threat in the case of strong winds (or even hurricanes) – this is especially important for tall palm trees.
Advice
As with any important purchase decision be sure to surround yourself with people and realtors that are able to give you impartial and honest information. Don’t be scared to ask them tough questions and to demand answers. Also do your research amongst the locals. Like everywhere in Mexico you’ll find that people are more than willing to help wherever than can.
♥ the Rain
Although this article focuses on the negative impact of the rain one must not forget it’s positive impact. The plants and jungle surrounding Puerto Vallarta are literally transformed by this rain. The mountains become a vibrant green colour, new animals appear and the air is cleansed. We have spectacular lighning storms over the bay and the rain and it’s flash floods are sometimes quite entertaining. It’s a great time to vistit our town. It generally rains only in the early morning and late afternoon, the daytime is virtually always rain free.
