Mexico: Hurricane Rina loses her punch, but tourists have fled

Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula got a bit of a break Thursday as Hurricane Rina weakened to a tropical storm with winds of 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. But the rains and choppy seas of the storm expected to hit Cancun and Cozumel on Thursday evening have still taken a toll on tourism.

Reuters reports an exodus of 13,000 tourists from Cancun since Tuesday, and more than 90 flights in and out of Cancun’s airport canceled Thursday, though the airport remained open as of Thursday morning. Associated Press says tourists “abandoned Cancun and other resorts” and jammed the airport Wednesday in an attempt to leave ahead of the storm.

“Nice to see #Rina continuing to croak this morning ... Now we have to get it out of there,” meteorologist Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) tweeted Thursday morning.

“HurricaneRina downgraded to a tropical storm but its still going to be a bumpy ride in #Cancun the next 2 days,” marine biologist Allistair Dove (@para_sight) posted on Twitter.

Hurricane Tracker at the Weather Channel shows Rina on a path toward Cancun but then looping around and heading south as it continues to weaken.

For travelers heading to or from the area in the next few days, many airlines have eased their rules on change fees and will allow you to rebook without charge. Also, Frommers tips on what to do when your flight is canceled might help.