Sheinbaum urges Mexico’s coastal residents to stay indoors — TimesLIVE
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents of coastal areas along the country’s Pacific coast to remain indoors as Category 4 Hurricane Simon approaches. Precautionary evacuations to safer areas are continuing, while residents of the states of Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Michoacán were urged not to go outside and to follow civil protection service instructions.
Hurricane near the coast
According to TimesLIVE, as of 9:00 a.m. local time, Simon’s center was about 105 km west-northwest of the port city of Manzanillo in Colima state. Maximum sustained wind speeds reached 230 km/h, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported.
The hurricane was moving north-northwest at 11.2 km/h. Its center was located about 140 km southeast of Cape Cabo Corrientes in neighboring Jalisco state. The forecast indicated that Simon would pass very close to Mexico’s west-central coast on Sunday and remain near it on Monday. At the same time, uncertainty remained over whether the cyclone’s center could make landfall.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Flooding and restrictions
Even without a direct landfall, the hurricane could cause dangerous storm surge, large destructive waves and strong winds along parts of the west-central coast. Mexico’s Civil Protection Coordination declared the highest level of cyclone danger for 28 municipalities in Jalisco and Colima states, while another 93 municipalities were under a high alert level.
Flooding occurred in Manzanillo overnight and in the morning due to rain and wind. Military personnel and the National Guard were deployed in the city. In the Alameda area, water reached residents’ shins, while military personnel and local residents pumped it out of homes. Puerto Vallarta International Airport was temporarily closed, non-essential activities were suspended in coastal communities, and emergency shelters were opened. Forecasters also warned of a threat of life-threatening flooding and landslides in mountainous areas due to heavy rainfall through Monday.
