NRT briefing
Hurricane Simon pounds resorts and vulnerable towns along Mexico’s Pacific coast
Based on reporting by New York Post.
The Brief
Hurricane Simon pounded Mexico's Pacific coast as a Category 3 storm on Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, according to the US National Hurricane Center. The storm's eye moved northwest about 45 miles south of Cabo Corrientes, threatening the Puerto Vallarta area with life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
Hurricane-force winds extended up to 15 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds reached 60 miles, potentially affecting the entire region between the coast and the Sierra Madre mountains.
Senior hurricane specialist Philippe Papin warned of 'catastrophic wind and life-threatening storm surge impacts' along the west-central coast, with heavy rainfall expected to cause flooding and mudslides in higher terrain. The hurricane center forecast an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain, with isolated totals up to 30 inches possible in parts of Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco through early Thursday.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents in affected states to stay sheltered, while authorities evacuated at-risk areas and suspended classes in 22 coastal municipalities.
Hotel worker Víctor Martínez said residents learned from a devastating 2002 hurricane, noting increased precautions this time. Tourists Ricardo Ramírez and Brenda Villarreal, visiting from Guadalajara, said they were unprepared for the storm's severity as police closed the boardwalk and urged people to take shelter.