Mexico closes nine ports due to Hurricane Simon — The Rio Times
Mexico closed nine ports on October 11 due to Hurricane Simon, which was moving along the country’s Pacific coast as a Category 4 hurricane. According to The Rio Times, 579 people were evacuated or placed in temporary shelters in the states of Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit.
Among the closed ports are Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Puerto Vallarta and San Blas. Navigation was also suspended at five ports on the Baja California peninsula. Another six harbors, including Barra de Navidad, Nuevo Vallarta and Zihuatanejo, were closed to small vessels.
The hurricane moved near the coast
At noon local time, the U.S. National Hurricane Center estimated that Simon’s center was about 140 km west-northwest of Manzanillo and 100 km southeast of Cabo Corrientes. Maximum sustained wind speeds reached about 220 km/h.
The hurricane was moving north-northwest at about 11 km/h. According to the center’s forecast, its core was expected to pass very close to the coast on Sunday and remain near it on Monday. A hurricane warning was in effect from Punta San Telmo to El Roblito, as well as for the Marías Islands.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Evacuation and rescue operations
Mexico’s federal Ministry of Security reported deploying 22,589 personnel in the states of Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Michoacán. A total of 1,470 vehicles, 323 pieces of heavy equipment and 18 aircraft were deployed for the response.
In Jalisco, 321 people were evacuated, while another 256 people were staying in 54 temporary shelters. In Colima, authorities reported 143 evacuees in six shelters, while in Nayarit, 115 people were accommodated in 15 shelters. Thirty-nine shelters were opened in Michoacán. Authorities suspended non-critical activities in 24 priority municipalities.
Manzanillo Airport was closed to all flights until 2:00 p.m. Sunday, while Puerto Vallarta Airport had already been closed. Mexican officials had reported no deaths as of Sunday afternoon.
