During the night of Thursday, November 16, the inhabitants of Progreso and its coastal communities were greatly surprised when they witnessed an event that, according to some people, both on social media and through comments collected during the same night in Chicxulub, had not occurred for a long time.
The first reports of the rising sea were recorded through social media, coming from Chicxulub Puerto and Chelem, where it was reported that the water was already close to reaching the level of the fishing docks that are located in these communities.
In Yucatán, this phenomenon is known in the Mayan language as “Chikín ik”, that is, northwest wind, and is the main cause of beach erosion in the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula.
It usually occurs after a cold front. The fishermen fear and respect this wind, so they do not go to sea until the storm subsides. It can last a few hours or sometimes even days, and this is when fishing suffers losses.
In videos and photos circulating at that time, people can see that the water level had risen by at least one and a half meters, and even the swing inside the water in Chelem was almost covered. This, after heavy rain that bathed the port shortly after 10 p.m.
When taking a tour of the Chicxulub area, it was observed that the water reached the lower edge of the pier in said space, while the sea had gained ground and was violently lashing against the floor of a well-known restaurant located on one side of the pier.
In the same area, there was a fishing shelter, where a sargassum stain was visible that reached at least 15 meters from the usual place of the water and in the sea a boat that was “shaken” with great force. The shelter guard said that when the water began to rise, the fishermen came to protect their vessels, which, although several were already on the sand, two others remained in the sea tied with ropes. The fishermen only managed to remove one, as the strong wind and violent waves prevented them from being able to rescue the other.
According to the security guard, this phenomenon had not occurred for some time, as it is more frequent when cyclones are affecting nearby areas or when a very strong north wind occurs.
For his part, hydrometeorological consultant Juan Vázquez Montalvo announced on his social networks that this phenomenon was caused by a “Chickin ik” generated by a low-pressure area located to the north, near Río Lagartos in the Gulf of Mexico.
In San Benito they were left without a beach; The waves hit the walls of the lower parts of the condominiums. The expert said that this had not happened since Hurricane “Grace” in 2022. In Chelem, the cutting of a section before the pier was reported, where the sea also advanced between the houses near the beach. In Chuburna Puerto they reported that the sea was hitting the bases of the houses and “ate” the little beach that there is in that area; At the Chuburna beach, the sea overflowed and flooded the lower part.
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