Hurricane Simon battered Mexico’s west coast on Monday with powerful winds and torrential rain, after several weather systems left at least five people dead and caused widespread damage to property in Pacific coastal communities.
The eye of the Category 2 hurricane has remained offshore, although its outer bands have lashed communities located between the Sierra Madre and the Pacific Ocean, near Puerto Vallarta.
In the state of Baja California, rescue teams have continued searching for missing people in the coastal city of Ensenada, where floods have swept away vehicles and damaged homes. At least four people have died as a result of post-tropical cyclone Rachel, including a 13-year-old girl, two women and a four-year-old boy.
Another six people remain missing, four in Ensenada and two in San Felipe. Landslides and overflowing rivers have cut off a number of communities.
The Mexican army has rescued 32 people by helicopter, including 22 foreign nationals, who had been trapped on a ranch in Ensenada. According to the authorities, the group included German and US citizens, as well as several missionaries.
The governor of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Ávila, said that around 14,000 federal and state personnel have been deployed to assist those affected and respond to the emergency.
Simon threatens further flooding and landslides
Further south, Simon has brought down trees and power lines, blocked roads and flooded homes in several coastal communities in the state of Guerrero, including the port of Acapulco. The governor, Evelyn Salgado, has confirmed the death of a 71-year-old man after a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo, the state capital.
By late Monday, the hurricane was producing sustained winds of up to 155 kilometres per hour and is expected to maintain its strength for much of the week, according to the US National Hurricane Center, which has warned of potentially life-threatening flooding and landslides before a possible landfall on Friday.
In Puerto Vallarta, easing rainfall has allowed the reopening of some shops, although the international airport has suspended operations until Tuesday morning. The authorities remain on alert amid uncertainty over the storm’s trajectory.
Meanwhile, in the south-western United States, most flood warnings have been lifted after surges caused over the weekend by the remnants of tropical storm Rachel in Las Vegas.
Additional sources • AP