September 30, 2002 - Page 2

In the morning, we were to continue on to Maya ruins at Uxmal; however, Chac decided that he didn't want to let up and continued to send rain, so we climbed around in a Loltùn, a cave used by the Maya to quarry limestone, to get out of the rain. Needless to say, when we came out the other side, it was still raining, so we decided to take a break and eat lunch to see if we would continue on to Uxmal or go back to Mèrida. When we turned the radio on to see what was going on, we found out that Hurricane Isidore had decided to pay us a visit. In light of the situation, we all felt it would be prudent for us to return home as soon as possible, so at least we would have a roof over our heads.

As we entered Mèrida (around 4:00 PM), the destruction was already evident. Trees were blocking the roads, which were already flooded, and there was no electricity. I've never felt more helpless in my life than when my host family and I were huddled around the kitchen table with nothing to do but listen to the wind beating against the house. The wind was so strong it was driving the rain in under the doors and windows.

Trying to keep the house dry was a loosing battle; everything was so wet that water started seeping through the walls and

ceiling. Isidore beat against Mèrida for about 12 hours, leaving a scene of destruction behind him. When I was able to go outside (my host mom wouldn't let me until the wind stopped blowing so fiercely), I could see that about one in three trees had been knocked down, taking any nearby power lines and telephone poles with them. Wires were tied in knots and draped across the street where they had become disconnected; debris was strewn everywhere. Metal roofing was bent as if it was paper and tossed every which way. My only thought was that this looked like something that I should be seeing on the news not first hand.