Local family's vacation cut short by Hurricane Dean
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Print this Article Email this Article Share By Jennifer Jarvis
Standard-Times correspondent
August 23, 2007 6:00 AM

NEW BEDFORD — Maybe the sandbags were the tip off.

Jeff Lawrence and his family knew it was time to cut short their vacation to the Riviera Maya when workers at their resort began preparing for Hurricane Dean, a Category 5 storm that struck Mexico early Tuesday morning.

"It was like the quiet before the storm," said Mr. Lawrence. After he was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, last January, his friends, family and coworkers held a fund-raiser so Mr. Lawrence and his family could vacation in Mexico.

In the end, a group of 14 traveled to Mexico on Aug. 11 to relax on the beaches, swim with the dolphins and enjoy good food and drinks. Although some of the party was scheduled to leave the following Saturday, Mr. Lawrence, his wife. Anne. and their three sons planned to stay until Tuesday.

All that changed when they heard about Hurricane Dean.

Mr. Lawrence said their resort — which was "spitting distance" from the ocean — was reluctant to publicize the storm because it would be losing money if tourists left early. The humid, sunny weather gave no indication of the coming hurricane. He eventually found out about Dean by word of mouth last Thursday night.

The Lawrences asked the resort about their options. They could get out now or risk being evacuated to hurricane shelters that weren't exactly resort quality — no running water, electricity or food, and limited cots, he said.

"You end up sleeping on the floor," Mr. Lawrence said. "So I said, forget it."

Friends at home helped them book a flight to Atlanta, and they departed Sunday at 3:30 p.m. But their early departure came at a cost. Tickets that were normally $285 each jumped to $450 as airlines tried to cash in on the high demand. USAir offered the family a flight from Atlanta to Boston for more than $800 per person. They eventually booked the flight with Delta for $500 a ticket.

Mrs. Lawrence said she thinks the flight insurance they bought will help defer the cost.

"We'll get something back," she said.

A family their son met at the resort wasn't lucky enough to get a flight out. The Lawrences, who had stockpiled bottled water in case they had to stay in Mexico, passed it on to the family.

Back at home in New Bedford, the Lawrences finished up their vacation doing laundry and preparing their sons for school, which starts next week.

Despite a truncated vacation, they say it was worth it.

"We had a lot of fun," Mrs. Lawrence said.
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