Cancun was affected by several tropical storms and hurricanes during this year’s Hurricane Season, but fortunately, it hasn’t suffered too much destruction.
To be sure, damage has been done, but it isn’t all bad news because not only was the damage not really that severe, but the storms also had at least one benefit.
Read on to discover how this year’s storms have affected Cancun’s beaches.
It’s all right here – the good, the bad, and the ugly effects from the storms.
Storms That Have Affected Cancun This Year
Several storms have caused heavy rains in Cancun this year, but only a couple of them have caused flooding, beach erosion, and/or structural damage.
The ones that had these more severe effects on the destination were hurricanes Beryl and Helene.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the Mexican Caribbean, but Hurricane Helene caused significant damage as it passed through the region, too.
The Good – Beaches Are Sargassum Free
As mentioned in the beginning, the effects of the storms that have battered Cancun this year are not all bad.
One unexpected benefit of the passage of these storms is that there is much less sargassum on Cancun’s beaches.
Sargassum is a brown macroalgae, which some refer to as seaweed, that washes up on the destination’s beaches.
Beaches Without Sargassum Right Now
Sargassum can wash up on beaches in the Mexican Caribbean any time of the year.
Generally, it’s worse during the spring and summer, and by October its arrival is usually starting to die down.
Due to the storms, and the late period of sargassum season, several popular beaches are without it, including:
- Playa Del Nino
- Playa Chac Mool
- Playa Delfines
- Playa Marlin
- Playa Ballenas
The Bad – Losses Due To Damage
Officials in Cancun have indicated that there were very minimal material losses during the storms this year due to sufficient precautionary measures that were taken.
Ahead of the storms, hotels had time to prepare, such as removing beach furniture.
Where the losses did occur were in businesses that were unable to operate due to inclement weather, flooding, or sewage overflows caused by the storms.
The Ugly – Beach Erosion
The beaches suffered the most damage from the storms.
According to the director of Zofemat, Justo Miranda Rocha, which is the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone, all of Cancun’s beaches have had some level of erosion.
Rocha commented that the erosion is caused by high wind and large waves.
The good news is that as the cold fronts come in during the winter, the beaches start to recover sand, and it’s estimated that by April, Cancun’s beaches should be back to normal.
How To Prepare If You’ll Be Visiting Cancun During Hurricane Season
Unfortunately, the best beach days in Cancun fall within the official Hurricane Season, which starts in June and runs through the end of November.
If you’ll be visiting Cancun for a beach vacation, there’s a very good chance that you’ll want to visit during this time, and that’s fine, millions of travelers do, but you’ll want to plan accordingly just in case.
The best way to do that is to get travel insurance. It may cover your trip if it’s canceled or cut short by a hurricane.
Getting Ready For High Season
Despite the condition of the beaches in regards to erosion, they are sargassum-free and Cancun officials say that they are preparing for a busy high season.
The months between December and April are the busiest in Cancun.
Not only is the weather amazing, but you don’t have to worry about hurricanes during these months either.
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