Hurricane Simon continued to move slowly up the coast of west-central Mexico early Tuesday bringing wind and flooding rain after tropical weather systems caused five deaths and damage in Pacific coastal towns and resorts. The eye of the hurricane remained offshore as its outer bands of winds and rain slammed communities between the Sierra Madre and the Pacific Ocean near Puerto Vallarta. Simon's 90 mph strongest sustained winds made it a Category 1 storm, but the U.S.
National Hurricane Center in Miami said it had technically become a small tropical cyclone. Simon was some 100 miles west of Cabo Corrientes and heading northwest at 3 mph. "Some additional weakening is forecast over the next day or so, but Simon is forecast to remain a hurricane through midweek and could re-intensify by Wednesday," the hurricane center said.
Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 10 miles from Simon's core and tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles. About 5-to-10 inches of rain are expected from Simon across coastal west-central Mexico with as much as 15 inches in the state of Sinaloa by Thursday. Flood advisories were mostly lifted in the southwestern U.S. after the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel caused weekend flooding in Las Vegas.
In Mexico's Baja California state, rescuers on Monday combed parts of the coastal city of Ensenada, where floodwaters swept away vehicles and damaged homes. At least four people died in the state due to the impact of post-tropical cyclone Rachel. Resident Johana Nuriulu said the flooding began during the night, shortly after heavy rain knocked out electricity.
"We heard a loud noise that sounded like ocean waves, but really loud," she said. Nuriulu said she went outside and discovered that a nearby stream had overflowed, sending water rushing through the neighborhood. The waters inundated streets and homes, sweeping away vehicles and other belongings.
"Everything was being dragged away," Nuriulu said. Several communities were cut off by landslides and overflowing rivers elsewhere in Baja California. In the afternoon, the Mexican military used helicopters to rescue 32 people - 22 of them foreigners - from a ranch in Ensenada.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
