Hurricane Earl
This emergency message informs U.S. citizens that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and Mexican authorities issued a warning for Tropical Storm Earl, currently located in the Northwestern Caribbean Sea. As of 11:00 a.m. Central Time, Tropical Storm Earl was centered 535 miles east of Belize City, Belize and moving west at 22 miles per hour. A Tropical Storm Warning and Hurricane Watch have been issued for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Punta Allen, Mexico southward to the Belize/Guatemala border. The storm is expected to make landfall in Southern Quintana Roo on the evening of Wednesday, August 3, 2016. Tropical Storm Earl is expected to produce 8-12 inches of rainfall over parts of Mexico. These rains could result in life-threatening flash floods and mud slides.
We strongly encourage U.S. citizens to monitor media reports and the Mexican government’s civil protection (“Protección Civil”) website, http://www.proteccioncivil.gob.mx, for updated information about the storm and to follow official instructions. We urge U.S. citizens to stay clear of beaches, as rough seas associated with storm conditions create severe hazards. U.S. citizens should stay in contact with relatives and friends in the United States to apprise them of their whereabouts, both before and after the storm. Visitors should be familiar with their hotel or cruise ship evacuation plans.
Please also visit the following U.S. government websites for more information:
· Mexico Country Specific Information: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html
· Hurricane Season “Know Before You Go:” http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/emergencies/natural-disasters/HurricaneSeason.html
· National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Mexico enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at www.travel.state.gov. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Regularly monitor the State Department's website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, including the Travel Warning for Mexico, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Mexico. For additional information, refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist” on the State Department’s website.
Contact the U.S. Consulate for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and download our free Smart Traveler iPhone App to have travel information at your fingertips.
The U.S. Consulate General in Merida is located at Calle 60 #338K por 29 y 31, Colonia Alcalá Martín, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico and is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Our phone number (dialing from the United States) is 0-11-52-999-942-5700 and our website is https://mx.usembassy.gov/embassy consulates/merida/u-s-citizen-services/. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance, please dial the main switchboard number at any time and ask to speak to an American Citizen Services staff member for assistance.
