Tourist Flee Mexican Resorts Ahead Of Weakening Hurricane

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Tourists are getting out of Cancun and other Mexican resorts ahead of Hurricane Rina (REE'-nuh).

One tourism official estimates that 10,000 tourists have left Mexico's most popular tourist destinations.

Lines snaked from ticket counters in Cancun's crowded airport yesterday as jumbo airliners heading to Canada and Europe waited in pouring rain. Many travelers said they were already scheduled to leave on Wednesday.

But Rina has been weakening as it nears the Yucatan's Caribbean coast. Its maximum sustained winds dropped to 75 mph this morning, making it just barely a hurricane.

Early this morning it was about 115 miles south of the island of Cozumel, moving northwest at about 6 mph.