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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | September 2005 
Gulf States Issue Rita Advisories
 Wire services
Monterrey - Authorities in states along the Gulf of Mexico set up shelters, reviewed evacuation plans and mounted food distribution centers as a precaution Wednesday before the arrival of Hurricane Rita, which was expected to make landfall in Texas.
All oil rigs for the state oil company Petroleos de Mexico, or Pemex, were working normally and all three of Mexico's Gulf coast crude oil loading ports were open, company spokesman Darwin Lara Pérez said.
Pemex, however, issued an evacuation alert Wednesday for two exploratory rigs in the northern Gulf of Mexico, as a precautionary move.
Pemex said it was preparing to evacuate about 200 workers from the Ocean Whittington and Hacuriyu V rigs, but that the evacuation wouldn't affect oil production.
Public safety officials in Tamaulipas state issued a yellow alert, a low-level advisory informing residents in its coastal towns near the border with Texas of ongoing preparatory measures.
Tamaulipas authorities were monitoring Hurricane Rita's trajectory but they stopped short of ordering an evacuation, given that forecasters expect the storm to head northeast to Texas and Louisiana.
Two months ago, the area was hit by Hurricane Emily, which caused US2 million dollars in damages.
Mexico's National Weather Service on Wednesday predicted that Rita would generate strong rains, winds and waves of up to about 2 meters (6.5 feet) high, along with higher-than-normal tides, along the Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf coast.
In the Gulf states of Veracruz and Tabasco, port officials have restricted small boat traffic. Veracruz port officials anticipated shutting down all traffic by Wednesday night, when winds were expected to reach speeds of more than 45 mph (70 kph), said Veracruz port Capt. Antonio Burgueño Guardado.
Officials also issued a thunderstorm alert and readied 3,000 shelters in case Rita changes course, said Ranulfo Márquez, Veracruz deputy public safety director. |
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