Cozumel's International Cruise Terminal: Hurricane Wilma Recovery and Reconstruction

The Island of Cozumel is rapidly becoming one of Mexico's most popular tourist destinations. Growth of Cozumel tourism is due in large part to the recent expansion of its cruise industry, with the number of sailings, size of vessels, and terminal infrastructure all increasing dramatically over the last 10 years. But like many coastal communities around the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, Cozumel's cruise industry was very hard hit during the hurricane season of 2005, and in particular by Hurricane Wilma. Of the three major cruise piers in Cozumel, one was completely destroyed, another was extensively damaged and shutdown for several months' worth of repairs, and the subject facility was so severely damaged that its complete replacement was considered. This paper discusses the damage to one of the Cozumel cruise terminals resulting from Hurricane Wilma and the recovery efforts immediately following the storm, the temporary repairs made to get back into operation as quickly as possible, and the design and construction of the replacement pier. Particular emphasis is placed on the behavior of the existing facility and the reasons why it and other similar facilities in the area were so susceptible to this storm.