Los Cabos Beaches, Bars, & Airport Closed As Military Is Deployed To Protect Tourists During Hurricane Norma

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Last Updated 6 months ago

As Hurricane Norma currently approaches Los Cabos as a Category 2 Hurricane, the Mexican military is preparing to help the tourists ride out the fury of the weather system.

The Los Cabos Airport is currently closed, with hopes of reopening on Sunday. Similarly, all beaches in Los Cabos are currently closed to protect tourists, as well as bars and nightclubs.

Mexico Deploys the Military

What news media outlets are calling the erratic hurricane was as high as a level five hurricane as it moved toward Los Cabos, only to drop to a level two at the time of writing this article.

To help the estimated 60,000 tourists impacted by Hurricane Norma in Los Cabos, the Mexican federal government has called up 5,000 members of the military.

They are ready to deploy more than 8,600 military members to the area based on the needs and upon the formal request of the Los Cabos municipal government and the governor of the State of Baja California Sur.

They have also activated 330 specialists of the Emergency Response Battalion for search and rescue operations.

Responding to Los Cabos and the surrounding areas will be members of the National Guard, Army, and Navy.

Flying In Critical Relief Supplies

The Mexican government has already started staging relief supplies such as food and water for tourists and locals in the area.

More than three thousand food supplies are stockpiled at the Santa Lucia Military Air Base No. 1 near Mexico City, ready for deployment.

The base is the Mexican Air Force’s main military airport, with heavy and medium lift aircraft ready to support a relief mission for Los Cabos and La Paz.

National Guard to Focus on Los Cabos

The area first impacted by Hurricane Norma will be the southernmost tip of the Baja California Sur, with heavy rain expected sometime on Saturday.

The southern tip, of course, is home to Los Cabos.

The National Guard has been strategically placed to support tourists and locals in the beach resort destination.

Admiral Joel Sandoval Gómez, the chief of staff for the fourth naval region, has deployed 485 members of the Los Cabos Infantry Battalion and 535 members of the mobile brigade to provide protection and support services in and around Los Cabos.

Three National Guard airplanes are also stationed in the area to provide additional assistance to Los Cabos.

Los Cabos is Ready to Protect Tourists

This is not the first tropical weather system to directly threaten Los Cabos. Plans were in place, reviewed, and tested for this exact event about six months ago.

The resorts and hotels have backup sources of electricity and water available to support tourists through the storm.

Their buildings were reinforced years ago and were inspected by Los Cabos civil protection officials prior to the start of hurricane season.

Each resort and hotel has a designated area to house travelers to the area in a hurricane-safe area, usually the lower section of the building.

They even have satellite phones and a coordinated communications system ready to deploy when the brunt of the storm impacts Los Cabos.

Tips For Tourists

At this point, the window for leaving Los Cabos before the storm is most likely closed. Tourists in the area will have to ride out the storm.

They should feel confident that the resorts and hotels in Los Cabos are ready to respond to the storm to keep tourists as safe and comfortable as possible.

Tourists may want to ensure they have any necessary personal medication and food items they will need as access to pharmacies and stores will be limited, if not impossible, during the storm.

As a future note, it is always recommended that tourists have travel insurance for these types of trip interruptions in advance of traveling to Los Cabos.