When we talk about hurricanes, we always think of all the devastation that the winds, the rain, and the storm surges bring to the populations that have the sad privilege of being in their path. However, not everything is so bad in the sense that these hydro-meteorological phenomena also bring benefits to the planet, fauna, flora, climate, and marine health.

Next, I will list some of the great benefits that these great storms bring with them:

1.- They maintain a global heat balance

One of the main purposes of hurricanes around the world is the temperature balance between the poles and the equator.

This temperature imbalance will always exist due to the orientation of the polar axis of our planet. Earth’s equator receives more solar energy, called insolation, than any other latitude on an annual average. This insolation warms the temperature of the ocean, which in turn warms the air above it, keeping it warm well into fall.

The Earth is always trying to spread this warm richness around the world, and hurricanes are one of the ways it does this. Mid-latitude storm systems and ocean currents are others.

Hurricanes, due to their size and interactions with the upper levels of the atmosphere, are very efficient carriers of equatorial heat. The equator would be considerably warmer and the poles could be significantly cooler if tropical cyclones did not exist.

Earlier this year, Blas used the warm waters of the eastern Pacific to become a major hurricane, producing very heavy rain far from land. After the storm passed, he left behind cooler water. This oceanic heat is not simply extinguished after being removed from the ocean, but slowly trickles off in thunderstorms as hurricanes move poleward. The cold water left by hurricanes can weaken new hurricanes that pass through the same area.

2. Eliminate bacteria and red tide

As tropical cyclones move through the ocean, winds and waves shake up the water content. This mix breaks up patches of bacteria lurking in the water and can put an early end to red tide, which can occur along the Gulf Coast and West Coast.

The winds can also oxygenate near-surface waters, helping to bring life back to areas where red tide once existed.

3. They bring rain to areas that need it

Tropical cyclones are extremely efficient at producing rainfall, and therefore can also be efficient at combating drought.

In areas of drought, such as parts of the southeastern and northeastern United States or northern Mexico, rain from a tropical cyclone can be beneficial.

Moisture from decaying tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific is occasionally trapped in the west-to-east flow of the United States and Mexico and reaches the deserts of the Southwest. California and much of the Sonoran Desert are desperate for rain, so an influx of moisture from a tropical system could be good news for that region.

Of course, tropical cyclone rainfall is often “too good” for any area of drought.

Tropical Storm Debby in 2012 erased a drought in the Deep South, but also caused extensive inland flooding in those same drought areas of northern Florida and southern Georgia. As they say “There is no evil that does not come for good”

4. Replenish inland plant life

What doesn’t wash over the ground during a hurricane can sometimes be transported hundreds of miles downstream.

When hurricanes make landfall, their wind blows spores and seeds inland from where they would normally fall; this effect can be seen a thousand miles inland as storms move away from the coast. These seeds can replenish lost growth after fires and urbanization.

Tropical systems often thin out tree foliage, which can be beneficial in fire suppression efforts. The act of trimming trees to mitigate damage can also help. One study states that foliage loss in hurricanes and other natural disasters aids in long-distance seed dispersal.

The fresh nutrients and sediments that hurricanes bring can cause growth spurts in new plant life, which can then lead to an increase in animal life.

5. Replenish barrier islands

Although most of the images we see of barrier islands after hurricanes show swathes of land battered, barrier islands often replenish as a hurricane progresses.

Hurricanes have the power to pick up substantial amounts of sand, nutrients, and sediments from the ocean floor and carry them towards those barrier islands. Storm surges, wind, and waves will often move these islands closer to the mainland as sand is pushed or pulled in that direction.

Without tropical cyclones or artificial restoration, the barrier islands would eventually shrink and sink into the ocean. Hurricanes can cause immense damage to barrier islands, as Charley did in 2004, but even that storm brought beneficial sand to shore.

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Holbox Island

Visiting the island of Holbox is one of the obligatory stops when visiting Cancun and the Riviera Maya. The Island is located on the northeastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, just a few hours from the city of Cancun, from where you must travel by car and then cross by ferry from the port of Chiquilá.

Due to its relative remoteness from Cosmopolitan Cancun, Holbox has become a destination favored by adventure tourism and those who enjoy eating lobster, since fishing for this delicious crustacean is one of the activities most popular with visitors, and then locate some restaurant that only charges you to cook it the way you want it, including the very famous lobster pizza. However, it must be remembered that said fishing is governed by the closed season.

It is, without a doubt, a paradisiacal place with white sand beaches and a crystalline turquoise blue sea with a very pleasant temperature. Walking along these beaches can be very comforting at any time and there will always be a corner where you can take shelter from the sun and perhaps have a refreshing drink. However, when a hurricane approaches, the island is evacuated for the safety of the inhabitants and visitors, since due to its size and type of construction there are no structures that serve as shelter. Holbox is located on the external border of the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico, but it is considered a 100% Caribbean population due to its multicolored constructions that are very consistent with that definition.

Holbox (in Mayan: black hole, black hole) (Mayan toponymic pronounced: jol bosh) is a Mexican island located in the Yucatan Channel, on the northeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is located in the state of Quintana Roo and belongs to the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas. It is 40 km long and 2 km wide, with about 34 km of beach to the north. It is intermittently linked to the peninsula by a sand bar, with several channels that link it to the sea and the Yalahau Lagoon. Its population is 1198 inhabitants according to the INEGI Population and Housing Count in 2005.

Speaking of a bit of history, I can tell you that these lands have been inhabited since time immemorial by the Mayans. Before the conquest, it was part of the chiefdom of Ekab, which extended from Cabo Catoche to Bahía de la Ascensión, along with the islands of Contoy, Isla Blanca, Isla Mujeres, Cancún, and Cozumel.

20^st Century

On November 24, 1902, the Federal Territory of Quintana Roo was created, for which Holbox was integrated as a Subprefecture of the Northern District. In 1910 the population of the state was grouped into eight municipalities, which for economic reasons were divided into three zones that still persist: north, center, and south; the northern zone includes the municipalities of Holbox, Cozumel, and Isla Mujeres. The 1970s were key for Quintana Roo since it was at that time that its population structure changed and, in 1974, it became a state.

Holbox is part of the Yum Balam Biosphere Reserve and Flora and Fauna Protection Area, created by the federal government as a protected area on June 6, 1994. It is accessible by sea from the port of Chiquilá, where you can take the ferry to cross the Yalahau Lagoon, in an approximate journey of 20 minutes, or by a private boat service.

Holbox is a natural refuge for various species, both endangered and threatened, and most of the inhabitants are interested in protecting this area. Hence, it is the headquarters of sustainable tourism projects seeking a minimum impact on the various ecosystems, fauna, and endemic vegetation in the area. Popular activities are swimming with whale sharks or witnessing the marvel of bio luminescent algae in the beach.

Inside the island, there is no pavement and there are only a few cars, all the streets are white sand, which allows pedestrian movement. The traditional means of transportation are electric or gasoline golf carts and bicycles.

Yalahau

Yalahau is located 30 minutes from Holbox, a spring of crystalline waters that contain as much beauty as history. It is said that it has healing properties, which is why this beautiful spring is considered a “fountain of youth”.

It was an important commercial port for the state, it was located in the coastal region of the current municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, almost in front of the island of Holbox and a few kilometers from the port of Chiquilá. Its location at the entrance of the so-called Yalahau lagoon or Conil bay was due to the greater depth of its waters, fishermen and Mayan travelers used the place as a source of fresh drinking water.

If you would like to invest in this paradise island Select Riviera Maya Real Estate can help you find a property that suits your needs, taste and budget. Just give us a call.