Los Cabos: Heavy Rains, Closed Beaches Flooded Roads & 12 Foot Waves From Hurricane Marie

Share The Article

If you are currently looking out from your resort balcony in Los Cabos, you are likely staring at a massive wall of gray clouds, rain, and an angry ocean. Social media feeds are currently flooded with videos of localized street flooding across the Baja California Sur peninsula.

For travelers who are waking up to this kind of severe weather alert can induce immediate panic. However, you need to take a deep breath. While today is absolutely not going to be a great day to be outside in Los Cabos, this is not a doomsday scenario. You do not need to pack your bags and rush to the airport. While it may not look menacing out your window, authorities are taking no chances.

Hurricane Marie is churning off the Pacific coast, but the region is simply experiencing the indirect impacts of the outer storm bands. Here is exactly what is happening on the ground today and how you should navigate the next 24 hours.

The Ocean Is Extremely Dangerous Today

The absolute most important thing you need to know today is that the ocean is completely off limits. Even though Hurricane Marie is churning hundreds of miles away from the coast, the massive circulation of the system is pushing violent energy directly into the tourist corridor.

Local authorities have officially closed 26 beaches across the region. You can expect to see solid black warning flags flying in the wind at every single resort. Incoming swells are currently generating towering waves that reach up to 12 feet in height. These are life threatening surf conditions packed with aggressive rip currents. Under no circumstances should you attempt to walk along the immediate shoreline or enter the water.

Furthermore, the local port captain has completely closed the marina to all maritime traffic. If you had a luxury sunset sail, a snorkeling excursion to the famous Arch, or a deep sea fishing charter booked for today, those plans are officially canceled. The boats are securely docked and will not be authorized to leave the harbor until the massive swells completely subside.

Localized Flooding And Suspended Services

Beyond the violent ocean, the sky is dropping an immense amount of water. Forecasters are predicting up to 6 inches of rain to fall across the region today.

While 6 inches might not sound like a catastrophic amount of water in other parts of the world, the desert infrastructure in Baja California Sur is simply not built to absorb sudden, heavy downpours. The dry, packed earth acts like concrete, forcing the water to run off rapidly into the streets. We are already seeing significant flooding in local neighborhoods like El Tezal and areas surrounding downtown Cabo San Lucas.

Because of the dangerous road conditions, local authorities have officially suspended all school classes across Los Cabos for the day. This is a clear signal that nobody should be driving unless it is an absolute emergency.

If you were planning to take a taxi into town to go shopping or grab authentic street tacos, you need to cancel those plans. The dirt roads wash out in a matter of minutes, and local traffic grinds to an absolute halt.

This Is Not A Direct Hit

The great news hidden inside all of this chaos is that Hurricane Marie is not making a direct hit on the peninsula. The core of the storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane later today, but it is actively moving northwest into open Pacific waters.

The heavy rain and strong wind gusts you are experiencing right now are simply the outer peripheral bands of the storm scraping the coastline. Your luxury resort was engineered and built to withstand direct strikes from major hurricanes. The physical infrastructure of your hotel is incredibly safe. You will likely see the staff pulling patio furniture indoors and roping off the main pool decks, but the indoor operations will continue exactly as normal.

How To Handle Today

Today is the perfect excuse to slow down and enjoy the amenities you already paid for. Book a treatment at the resort spa, enjoy a long indoor lunch, or simply relax in your room and watch a movie.

Do not let the scary headlines on social media ruin your mindset. The heavy weather will continue to move out as Marie tracks further away from land. The storm will pass, the flooded streets will quickly drain under the desert sun, and you will be back to drinking margaritas by the pool before you know it.