Hurricane cuts off communication with Chabad in Baja California

Communication has been lost with Chabad shluchim (emissaries) in Cabo San Lucas since the city was slammed by Hurricane Odile, the most powerful hurricane to ever hit Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, on Monday.

Rabbi Mendel Polichenco, the Chabad rabbi in Tijuana, Mexico, close to the US border, spoke by phone with Rabbi Benny Hershcovich and his 9-month-pregnant wife Sonia on Monday night and ascertained that they and their three children had survived the hurricane unharmed.

However, as of Tuesday morning, he has been unable to reach the Hershcovich family.

“They were in their home when I spoke with them on Monday evening, and they said their home was not damaged,” Polichenco told The Times of Israel.

“Rebbetzin Hershcovich had gone in to early labor, but apparently medical personnel had given her medication to slow it down. But since I have not heard from them since, I don’t know what her situation is now.”

As far as Polichenco is aware, there is one hospital functioning in Cabo, and that several members of the Jewish community there (he estimates that there are currently around 100 Jews, including residents and tourists) have sought medical treatment for injuries sustained in the hurricane.

Tuesday afternoon, Polichenco was trying to obtain and ready a truck to be driven from Tijuana to the Chabad houses in Cabo and La Paz to deliver much-needed supplies such as food, water, flood abatement equipment, and electrical generators.

“We need a 4×4 because the roads are really hard to pass,” the rabbi said, hoping to be able to depart on the 20-hour drive by Tuesday evening.

A post on the Chabad website COL Live also stated that the security situation in Baja California is “tenuous with rampant looting occurring.”

In addition, Polichenco is trying to arrange for a plane to fly in to evacuate stranded Jewish community members and fly them across the Gulf of California to Mazatlan.