Costa Maya Suffers Damage From Hurricane Dean--Revised 4:30pm

As a result of the near-direct hit by Hurricane Dean, there are reports of heavy damage to the cruise piers and facilities at Puerto Costa Maya and the fishing village of Majahual. It appears that the cruise port will be closed for an estimated six to eight months. Port spokesman Cesar Lizarraga told Seatrade Insider, ‘We believe more than 50% of the pier is gone. It’s a multimillion-dollar loss.’

While many Mayan residents evacuated the area, it's too soon to tell if there are any fatalitiess as a result of the powerful storm.

Revised to add: When Dean slammed into the Yucatán before dawn Tuesday at the port of Costa Maya near Majahual, about 40 miles east-northeast of the city of Chetumal and 150 miles south of Cancún, according the the Miami Herald, "It was the most intense storm to make landfall since Andrew steam-rolled South Miami-Dade County in 1992. It also was the third most intense Atlantic basin hurricane to reach land in history. Some areas flooded and hundreds of structures were damaged or collapsed, especially in Majahual. But Mexican President Felipe Calderón said he had no reports of storm-related deaths and power should be restored within days. In neighboring Belize, also hit by the storm, trees fell and debris flew through the air, but, again, no early reports spoke of sweeping damage."