Huatulco's tropical storm 2017

Some summers, we see very little rain here.  I swear this summer we're getting nine years worth all at once.  A full week of rain is something special.  It had been a long rainy week here in Huatulco, riding my bicycle to work every day and changing into dry clothes when I got there.  I was running out of dry clothes, especially shoes.  I learned the trick of stuffing wet sneakers with old newspapers to dry them out faster. 


I couldn't believe my ears when we were sent home from work one morning to get everyone in a safe place and off the road for a big tropical storm.  I thought, "Come on.  It's just a little rain."  It's nice that our employers are protective and responsible but sheesh, what's a little more rain?  Everyone else bolted out of there but I dragged my feet, not taking it seriously at all.  I was so wrong.   

By the time I made it home, it was raining intensely.  I was glad to be home.   Within the next hour, as it came down harder and harder, I knew I wouldn't be going anywhere.  If I wanted anything that wasn't already in the house, I would have to do without.  A man told me he thought he'd take a short walk to  the store and back for beer.  He took 5 steps and turned right back around.  A person could have drowned standing out in that rain.  There was no traffic out there of any kind.  Just rain, thundering down so hard it drowned out any other noise.  It was a nice day to have some books on hand.  

 

All night and most of the next day, it kept coming.  It took a toll on the town.  A lot of people had to go without water for a few days.  The problem had something to do with filters clogged with mud and the city couldn't make any promises about how long a repair job so major would take.  They must have worked 24/7.  Everything was back to normal earlier than I would have believed   We lost a few trees.  Potholes were everywhere.  For days, water continued to ooze out of the hillsides on to the streets in wide shallow lakes.  The interior walls of the house I live in were moist and cool as if the whole place had been lifted from the bottom of the ocean 

From now on, I take all warnings seriously.  It's better to be smart than lucky.