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Hurricane Simon brought life-threatening flooding and mudslides to southwestern Mexico, with some areas receiving up to 30 inches of rain. The storm, which had strengthened to 155 mph winds, moved parallel to the coast before expected landfall.
Hurricane Simon brought life-threatening flooding and mudslides to parts of southwestern Mexico, with some areas in the states of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco receiving up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain. The storm, which had strengthened to 155 mph (250 kph) winds, was expected to move inland as an extremely powerful system.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Simon strengthened to 155 mph (250 kph), a speed described as "only just below the threshold for becoming a Category 5 storm, the highest on the Saffir Simpson scale." The center of the storm was about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west-southwest of Manzanilla and moving north-northwest at 6 mph (9 kph).
NBC News reported that Simon pounded Mexico’s Pacific coast Sunday as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, noting that its eye remained offshore. By early Monday, winds had dropped to 115 mph as the storm crawled northwest at 5 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to make landfall and then dissipate inland over Mexico.
The hurricane center warned that the rainfall would produce "life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain." A dangerous storm surge was expected along the immediate coast near and to the east of where the center makes landfall, accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Jalisco state suspended classes on Friday and Monday in 22 coastal municipalities and began evacuating dozens of people from at-risk areas. Authorities asked the tourism sector in Puerto Vallarta to ensure that both workers and visitors were fully accommodated in shelters or safe zones.
Convenience stores, hotels and other businesses in Puerto Vallarta were boarding up their windows Saturday. Jesús Gómez, standing outside a shop, said, "Let’s hope it doesn’t hit us, right? That it doesn’t affect us." He added, "We’ll be working as usual throughout the day, but when Civil Protection officials come and tell us we need to close, then we’ll close and take shelter until the storm passes."
Hurricane warnings were in effect for Playa Perula to El Roblito and Las Islas Marias, with a hurricane watch in place north of El Roblito to Bahia Tempehuaya. Tropical moisture from the storm was expected to stream into the U.S., bringing a risk of flooding to the middle of the country later in the week.
The storm highlights the severe risks posed by powerful hurricanes to coastal regions, including life-threatening flooding, mudslides, and storm surges. The varying reports on wind speed and classification underscore the dynamic nature of storm tracking and the importance of relying on official updates from agencies like the National Hurricane Center.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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Hurricane Simon weakened to a Category 2 storm but continued to pound Mexico's west-central coast with dangerous winds and heavy rain. Authorities urged residents to shelter as the storm threatened landfall midweek.
