Area family describes 'nightmare' experience in Cabo when hurricane hits

SEATTLE -- Heather Villers hugged her mother as if she hadn't seen her in years after returning from a horrific trip to Cabo that left them stranded without money, food and water.

The Villers family had a wonderful couple of days at a resort in Cabo before Hurricane Odile hit landfall. The category three hurricane destroyed their hotel. The hotel had enough generator power to last only a few days and staff had left.

The Villers' and another family pooled their money together to get a taxi to the closest airport.

Heather said, “We got enough money together because they only took cash and there was no cash machines. There’s no credit card machines so we got enough cash together and went to La Paz.”

On their road trip, the family witnessed looting and destruction. Then the family had to fight to get on the one and only plane out of La Paz.

“There was one plane. And the list meant nothing. It was basically push your way to the front, yell that you have babies. Ninos! Ninos! Ninos! And try to get on an airplane," Heather said.

When Heather's mother finally got to see her at Seatac Airport she was overjoyed.

Vickie Houk said, “Just to see them come around the corner just was so great because they’re back. They’re in America. They’re not in danger anymore.”

Heather says she will never go back to Cabo again.

"I want to go home and just lay in my bed and cry," she said.