Hurricane Simon roars to 145 mph as it nears Mexico's coast
Hurricane Simon grew to 145 mph winds early Saturday as it neared Mexico's Pacific coast, U.S. forecasters said. The Category 4 storm could reach Colima or Jalisco late Saturday or early Sunday. Forecasters warn of 10 to 20 inches of rain, with deadly floods and mudslides possible.
Hurricane Simon kept getting stronger overnight as it closed in on Mexico's Pacific coast.
At 3 a.m. Central time, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Simon's top winds had reached 145 mph. That is up from about 120 mph at 9 p.m. Friday, when Simon was still a Category 3 storm. Simon sat about 125 miles south of Manzanillo and was crawling north at 5 mph.
Forecasters expect more rapid strengthening, with winds near 155 mph later Saturday. The center's track takes Simon inland over Colima and Jalisco, but it could also stay just offshore. It should be near or just inland of the coast late Saturday or early Sunday.
The hurricane warning now runs from Punta San Telmo north past Punta Mita to El Roblito, plus the Islas Marias. The government upgraded the northern part from a watch early Saturday. A tropical storm watch covers the coast east to Lazaro Cardenas.
Simon is small but fierce. Hurricane-force winds reach only about 15 miles from the center. Rain is the wider danger. The hurricane center expects 10 to 20 inches over parts of southwestern Mexico, with up to 30 inches in spots in Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit. A dangerous storm surge is likely near and east of where the center comes ashore.
Simon went from a Category 1 storm early Friday to Category 4 by midnight, Tribuna de la Bahía reported. Commercial flights at Manzanillo's airport are halted Saturday, and the navy closed the port of Lazaro Cardenas, LatinUS reported. Simon's rain has already turned deadly farther south. In Chilpancingo, in Guerrero state, a wall collapsed on an older man on Friday after the rain softened the ground, and he died, El Universal reported.
On the ground, officials asked people in Puerto Vallarta and nearby coastal towns to stay home from 5 p.m. Saturday, Contralínea reported. Those in flood or landslide zones should move to shelters. In Colima, beaches in Tecoman, Armeria and Manzanillo are closed, and people from El Centinela were moved to a shelter Friday night, AFmedios reported.
What we know: Simon is a Category 4 storm with 145 mph winds, headed for the coast of Colima and Jalisco.
What we don't: Exactly where it will come ashore, or whether its core will stay just offshore.
Where outlets agree Tribuna de la Bahía and LatinUS both report that Simon became a Category 4 hurricane at midnight Saturday.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.