Residents of the Cayman Islands and timeshare resorts there report minimal damage from Hurricane Emily, while Mexico’s Riviera Maya is hit hard.

Timeshare owners everywhere are following the course of Hurricane Emily, which is expected to hit the coastline of Central Mexico by the end of this week. Not only is this an issue of importance those who own timeshare in Mexico  at the beautiful timeshare resorts there, but it is also a matter of life and death to thousands of local residents in the path of this hurricane.

Early on Sunday, the Cayman Islands were the next group of islands in the path of Hurricane Emily. Fortunately, the storm was far enough offshore as to cause less damage than expected. Flooding, downed power lines, and fallen trees were common in many areas, but local authorities are confident that life will return to normal within the next few days. This comes as good news in an area that was mauled by Hurricane Ivan last year, which caused over 100 deaths and untold property damage.

Hurricane Emily is passing over the Yucatan Penninsula, and the initial reports indicate massive power outages across the Riviera Maya coastline. Many local schools served as makeshift shelters from the storm, housing tourists and local families while Emily raged outside. More than 60,000 tourists were evacuated from places like Tulum, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen. The most dangerous part of the storm hit Cozumel directly. Cozumel sustained a severe battering from the pounding seas and high winds, which were able to break billboards and concrete utility poles in many areas. In Playa del Carmen, flooding was the major problem, with streets knee-deep in water. Cancun, already concerned over the erosion of its beaches, reported that Emily caused significant erosion damage to waterfront property. Though the number of resorts in this area has grown by leaps and bounds during the past decade, emergency facilities have been able to keep pace with the new demand. Adequate fresh water and food was provided to evacuees, and a system of busses was able to carry tourists to safety.

Belize reported high seas and some stormy conditions, but seems to have been largely unaffected by Emily. A hurricane watch is in effect for the southern Gulf Coast of Texas and a wide section of Mexico’s Gulf Coast. Emily should be over the warm waters of the Gulf tomorrow, and she is likely to increase in force.

If you are an owner at timeshare resorts in any areas which may have been affected by this hurricane, you are strongly advised to contact your home resort or management company as soon as possible.

Hurricane Emily will hit Jamaica in the next 24 hours; a hurricane warning is in effect for the entire island. Meanwhile, Grenada assesses storm damage. Timeshare owners are wary of storm.

Hurricane Emily’s course is predicted to take it past the island nation of Jamaica within the next 24 hours. A hurricane warning remains in effect for the entire island. A hurricane watch is also in effect for the Cayman Islands. With winds gusting as high as 135 miles per hour, Emily is the second major hurricane to hit this area of the world in the past two weeks and has timeshare owners on edge.

On the Cayman Islands, timeshare owners and residents alike eye the storm’s approach nervously. With the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries forming the formidable backbone of these islands’ infrastructure, a holiday paradise like this can ill afford a brush with Emily.

Mexican authorities have advised people staying on or near the Yucatan penninsula to prepare for hurricane conditions. The storm is expected to collide with the Mexican coast sometime next week. This region encompasses the highly-publicized “Riviera Maya” area of Mexico, with miles of coastline and innumerable resorts catering to the vacationing public.

Grenada is starting to pick up the pieces left after this latest hurricane, but the damage is significant. Flooding in low-lying areas has left many people homeless on an island still recovering from previous storms. A meeting of Grenada’s National Emergency Advisory Council (NEAC) was held yesterday at 4:00 p.m. local time. In attendance were all the District Disaster Coordinators and key stakeholders. A detailed Damage Assessment Report was submitted for each district, but there are no official figures yet as to how bad the damage actually is. So far, these reports have determined that one fatality resulted, when a man in St. Patrick North was killed when his home was destroyed by a mudslide.

Year-round Residents Face Greater Challenges than do Timeshare Owners

Analysts predict that the tourism industry in these areas will be hit hardest by this storm, but agriculture will be devastated as well. This problem can be expected to worsen, especially in Jamaica. In the trail of Hurricane Ivan, last year the price of most foodstuffs jumped sharply in response to massive crop damage from flooding and high winds. Jamaica is still trying to recover from Ivan as well as more recent hurricanes. With another potentially deadly storm poised offshore, the >prognosis looks grim.

The year-round inhabitants of these islands will of course be hardest hit by this disaster, but seasonal residents can expect considerable property damages as a result. Those who own timeshares in this part of the world can do little but watch and wait, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

Though Tropical Storm Emily continues to menace the Caribbean Islands, Florida timeshare owners are relieved to escape the brunt of this storm.

Many Florida timeshare owners breathed a sigh of relief yesterday as they heard that Hurricane Emily had been downgraded to a tropical storm, and that her present course will steer this hurricane towards the southern portion of the Caribbean Sea.

This change is partly due to a semi-permanent area of high pressure known as the Bermuda High. At his time of year, it can usually be found over Bermuda, hence the name. This high-pressure zone, if it is particularly strong, can drive hurricanes toward the continental US. This year, a weak Bermuda high has pushed Tropical Storm Emily south, and Florida homeowners and vacationers alike are quick to show their relief.

However, Tropical Storm Emily, while no longer a hurricane, can pack “hurricane conditions“, making those who own timeshare in the Caribbean Islands extremely nervous. The projected course of this hurricane, at the time of this writing, takes it across the central Caribbean, possibly ending up near the coast of Venezuela later this week. Earlier, a hurricane watch was in effect for Barbados, Grenada, The Grenadines, St. Vincent, and St. Lucia. Reports from Barbados indicate that Emily has dumped a large amount of rain on the island, but has caused comparatively little damage. Because of its erratic path and changes in intensity, this storm has been described as “unpredictable”.

At 3:35PM local time, Tropical Storm Emily was estimated to be about 175 km off the coast of Trinidad. People all over the Caribbean coast and the Gulf of Mexico will be following this storm with interest. As tropical storms in the Caribbean have been known to cause significant loss of life, our hopes and prayers go out to those living in the path of these storms.

For the latest news on storm conditions in the Caribbean, visit Caribbean-On-Line.

Hurricane Dennis hit areas previously damaged by Hurricane Ivan ten months ago. Damages, though less than expected, still cause concern among timeshare owners and the timeshare-owning community.

After battering Florida’s Gulf Coast, Hurricane Dennis has dissipated. Though damage reports are much lower than initial estimates ($1 billion as opposed to a predicted $7 billion), Florida’s hurricanes pose challenges for the timeshare owners that own time at nearly 30,000 time-sharing units in the Sunshine State.

Florida is the timeshare capital of the world – however, vacationers who consider buying Florida timeshare would do well to examine the hidden costs. Last year, hurricanes converged on the Sanibel Island/Captiva Island area, and damage done to timeshare resort properties was severe. Many resorts in this area are still undergoing repairs at the time of this writing. In much of Florida, timeshare maintenance fees have increased to cover hurricane damages, and timeshare owners are often being charged, on average, $100.00/year above and beyond their usual maintenance expense. Some owners have been unable to use their timeshare because the damage has been so extensive.

Anyone looking to buy timeshare should investigate the property fully. It all boils down to posing the right questions to the timeshare seller, whether it be an individual owner or a resort company. Ask up-front about hurricane damages and how they affect the maintenance fees. Demand actual numbers! As a consumer, you have the right to get the complete lowdown on any property before you buy. On the other hand, if the timeshare you already own is damaged badly enough as to be rendered uninhabitable, ask about your exchange options. Many timeshare owners have found that resorts and their affiliated exchange companies are quite willing to help an owner exchange timeshare weeks in this situation.

Hurricane-damaged properties are very attractive on the resale market, because of their low price. This could pose an incredible opportunity for a timeshare buyer. People buy high-demand timeshare weeks in these circumstances for as little as $50.00! Then, when the resort is repaired, they get to spend their time in a freshly renovated unit that often boasts better amenities than it did before it was damaged. However, if you plan on purchasing a damaged property, be aware that resorts pay for their renovations by charging maintenance fees and special assessments to timeshare owners. True, the cost can be divided between hundreds of timeshare owners, but the cost is directly proportionate to the amount of repair necessary. Even though timeshare buyers can save thousands on hurricane-damaged timeshares, the abrupt increase in maintenance fees can prove disconcerting to a timeshare owner. One is left with the choice of either absorbing the increase in maintenance fees (which are still likely to total much less than the original purchase price of a new property), or exchanging banked weeks for a timeshare in better condition. The answer? Ask the timeshare seller whether or not the maintenance fees and special assessments have been paid to date.

No matter where you buy timeshare, be sure to pursue your own due diligence with regard to any timeshare property. Research any timeshare thoroughly before buying. A well-thought-out timeshare purchase can mean years of happy vacations for the rest of your life.