Living in San Carlos: Hurricane Season

Every summer, as hurricane season begins, we are asked the same question

Should we be worried?

It is a fair question, particularly from people who have never lived beside the sea.

No. But you should be prepared.

There is an important difference between fear and respect.

Living beside the Sea of Cortez is one of the great privileges of calling San Carlos home. It brings spectacular sunrises, beautiful beaches, world-class fishing, sailing, kayaking, and a lifestyle centred around the water. Like every waterfront community, however, it also means understanding that nature occasionally reminds us of its power. That is simply part of living here.

Fortunately, hurricane season is rarely the dramatic experience that those unfamiliar with our area sometimes imagine. Most tropical systems develop hundreds, even thousands of kilometres from San Carlos. Many never reach the Sea of Cortez at all. Others continue north but weaken along the way. Only a small number ever require our close attention.

That does not mean we ignore them. Quite the opposite. Experience has taught us that the best time to prepare is long before there is anything to prepare for. In reality, preparation is remarkably ordinary. It means knowing where your important documents are kept, checking that flashlights work, making certain you have fresh batteries, storing drinking water and basic emergency supplies, and looking around your home to see what might need to be secured if strong winds are expected. These are not extraordinary measures. They are simply good habits.

Over the years, we have developed a few routines that become almost automatic during hurricane season. One of them is checking eebmike.com. It has become our first stop because it brings together National Hurricane Center forecasts, satellite imagery, tropical weather discussions, radar, and other weather resources in one convenient place. Rather than searching several websites, we can quickly gain an overall picture of what is happening throughout the eastern Pacific and decide whether any developing system deserves our attention.

Good information provides something sensational headlines never can: perspective.

Tom and I have learned that there is no prize for worrying. If a storm deserves our attention, we prepare. We secure anything outside that could become airborne, make sure we have what we need at home, and keep informed. Once that is done, there is nothing more to be gained by imagining the worst.

Instead, we sit on the deck and watch the sky.

The clouds build over the Sea of Cortez. The wind begins to freshen, and the waves start crashing against the seawall. There is an energy in the air that is difficult to describe unless you have experienced it yourself. Even after all these years, it never gets old.

One of the reassuring things about San Carlos is that preparedness is not something residents do alone. Neighbors check on neighbors. Friends share information. Emergency services, volunteer organizations, local authorities, and experienced residents all play their part when a storm threatens. Like so many things in San Carlos, it is another reminder that people genuinely look after one another.

Perhaps that is why longtime residents rarely speak about hurricane season with alarm. We speak about it with respect.

Living beside the Sea of Cortez teaches you to respect nature, prepare for what it may bring, and appreciate it every single day.

Once you have done what needs to be done, you stop worrying and start paying attention.

Photo: Alfonso "RADA" Vasquez