Redmond couple caught in Hurricane Odile
Hurricane Odile ripped through the resort town of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico just over a week ago, stranding tourists for days. Redmond resident Dutch Hockett was visiting with his wife, and they finally got home Saturday night.
Hockett and his wife had been planning a trip to Cabo for quite some time.
This trip was special, for more reasons than one.
“First time out of the country, first time really out of the Northwest,” Hockett said Tuesday.
It all started off perfectly.
“Got down there, just in time for dinner, woke up the next day, went into town, tried to do some shopping,” Hockett said.
But less than 24 hours after they touched down, they realized something was wrong.
“All of town was closing down around us,” Hockett said.
Luckily, his wife speaks Spanish and was able to ask locals what was going on.
“And they said there was a Class 4 hurricane on the way and we had to get back to our resort,” Hockett said.
So they listened — and did.
But once they got back to the resort, they were told their hotel didn’t have a generator, so they would lose power within the hour.
Then they were moved to a different hotel in a room on the third floor.
“Eye of the storm, they said, passed right over the resort,” Hockett said.
Their room made it through the storm with no broken windows, but not everyone was so fortunate.
“There (were) beds that were sucked out of rooms and thrown out into the pavilion, closet doors ripped off and thrown out,” Hockett recalled.
Hurricane Odile ripped through the town with a vengeance while people hid in their bathrooms, few able to sleep through the storm.
The next morning was a different story — and quite a contrast.
“Blue sky, birds chirping — and devastation all around,” Hockett said.
The couple was supposed to be there only a week, but were stuck there for almost 10 days after Odile hit, advised not to leave the resort.
“They said it was very unsafe for tourists in town — things were getting very desperate. Very ugly,” Hockett said. “No power poles standing, buildings ripped right off their foundation.”
After a long wait in the hot sun for a flight home, they are back safely.
But not exactly rested.
“Now I need a vacation from my vacation.” Hockett said.
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