Hurricane Simon pounds resorts and vulnerable towns along Mexico’s Pacific coast

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 kilometers), and tropical-storm-force winds reach up to 60 miles (95 kilometers) from Simon’s center, meaning the entire area between Mexico’s western coast and the Sierra Madre mountains could be affected.

“We’re expecting catastrophic wind and life-threatening storm surge impacts along that west-central coast of Mexico where the hurricane warning is currently in effect,” Pappin said. “They’re also getting very heavy rainfall associated with the storm that’s likely going to produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides in areas of higher terrain along the Mexican coastline, and there will be significant swells.”

The hurricane center on Sunday afternoon said Simon was expected to dump an additional 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain, with some areas getting up to 8 inches (20 centimeters), in the states of Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa through early Thursday.

“Isolated maximum storm totals of 30 inches (76 centimeters) are possible over portions of the states of Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco,” the center said in its latest advisory. “This rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides or worsen any on-going flooding, especially in areas of steep terrain.”

As the storm approached Puerto Vallarta, National Guard vehicles patrolled the streets while police used a megaphone to call out the few people who were jogging, walking their dogs or biking by the waterfront. Officers reminded people that the area was closed and urged them to take shelter. Not everyone followed the orders.

Jalisco state suspended classes on Friday and Monday in 22 coastal municipalities and began evacuating people from at-risk areas while asking the tourism sector to make sure workers and visitors are fully accommodated in shelters or safe zones.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum took to the social platform X on Sunday to urge people in Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Michoacan to stay sheltered until the government issues a notification that the danger has passed. She also asked people to follow recommendations from civil protection officials and to avoid traveling on public roads.

“Precautionary evacuation efforts to safe zones are ongoing; the priority is our safety,” she wrote.

Hotel worker Víctor Martínez went shopping for nonperishable food Sunday afternoon. He said he could not go to work because public transportation service was suspended and most of the hotel had been evacuated.

Martínez found people’s concerns about the hurricane comforting.

“It happened to us before. It hit us years ago,” Martínez said, referring to a Category 5 hurricane that hit the area in 2002. “People didn’t expect it. We were very skeptical that it would ever hit us. Now, though, we’re different. Precautions are being taken. It happened to us once, and we won’t let it happen again.”

Despite the risks posed by Simon, tourists were still arriving in Puerto Vallarta.

Visitors Ricardo Ramírez and Brenda Villarreal, who have never lived through a hurricane, went looking for food by the city’s boardwalk and came across police urging people to take shelter. Ramírez said they were completely unprepared for the situation.

“The boardwalk is closed. Be responsible. Understand!” police told passersby using a megaphone.

Ramírez said he and Villarreal had planned their four-day vacation since last year and traveled from Guadalajara, Jalisco’s capital.

“We don’t know the extent of the danger yet,” Villarreal said. “We’re just starting to see what’s going on.”

Fernando Llano And Martin Silva, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Hurricane Simon pounds resorts and vulnerable towns along Mexico’s Pacific coast

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