**4.1 Hurricanes and floods**

Since ancient times several hurricanes have impacted Quintana Roo and the Municipality of Tulum, we can observe that since 1951 eleven hurricanes have impacted with a category between three and five on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the coasts of Quintana Roo (see **Table 1**).

Hurricanes are generally accompanied by floods, strong winds and result in trees, and power poles falling. In Tulum, when a hurricane occurs, the internet is also cut off since the plant does not have a power generator, and the population is cut off from communication.

A study carried out by the University of Quintana Roo in 2019 [7] has shown through a survey, the percentages of the population of Tulum in relation to hurricanes to measure the level of urban resilience (**Table 2**).

This survey shows that more than 50% of the population that resides in Tulum is not prepared to face a hurricane of category two or more; however, 67% of the population has an emergency plan and knows the location of a temporary shelter. Most of the population is aware that their city is affected by hurricanes, but more than 50% have never experienced a hurricane and only 24% have received training on what to do in the event of a hurricane or flood.

**Figure 1** clearly shows the upward trend from the year 2005 in affectations due to floods caused by hurricanes. In the municipality of Tulum, the flood zones are the following (**Figure 2**).

The entire coast where the main tourist infrastructures (hotels and bars) are located in a flood zone. In addition, the polygon considered for the extension of the *Risks and Threats on the Coast of Quintana Roo: The Case of Tulum, México DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107452*


#### **Table 1.**

*Hurricanes and tropical storms that impacted Quintana Roo.*


#### **Table 2.**

*Percentage of the population of Tulum in relation to their perception to be affected by hurricanes.*

city in the Tulum Development Plan (2010) is also in a flood zone. This Polygon is considered an "urban reserve" for population growth (see **Figure 3**).

In summary, we have a population that is relatively unprepared to receive hurricanes and floods whose impacts are growing as of 2005, and a possibility of extension of the city of Tulum (Polygon South) in an area threatened by floods, and a coastal hotel zone as well as, subject to floods and hurricanes. We will see later that tourism megaprojects do not consider the threats clearly defined in the risk atlas as well as those defined in the urban development plan, nor the natural protected areas.

#### **Figure 1.**

*Houses damaged and/or destroyed by floods in Quintana Roo in the period 1970–2013 (Source: Desinventar.net).*

#### **Figure 2.**

*Flood hazard map (in pink) (Sources: From the Risk Registrations of the Municipality of Tulum, 2015 and the Municipal Development Plan).*

*Risks and Threats on the Coast of Quintana Roo: The Case of Tulum, México DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107452*

**Figure 3.** *Partial Development Program of the city of Tulum (Source: From the municipal development plan).*
