Hurricane Simon weakens offshore as Mexico eases its coastal warnings
Hurricane Simon's winds fell to 110 mph Monday as it crept along about 55 miles off Mexico's Cabo Corrientes. Mexico eased its hurricane warning for the mainland coast. But up to 30 inches of rain could still bring deadly floods, and Simon is expected to near the coast again Wednesday into Thursday.
Hurricane Simon weakened a little more Monday as it crept along just off Mexico's Pacific coast. At 11 a.m. Eastern time, its top winds were 110 mph, down from 115 mph six hours earlier, the National Hurricane Center said.
Simon's center sat about 55 miles west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes and 215 miles south of Mazatlan. It was barely moving, drifting northwest at 3 mph. Hurricane-force winds reached out 15 miles from the center.
Mexico eased its warnings with that advisory. The hurricane warning from north of Cabo Corrientes to El Roblito became a hurricane watch. From Playa Perula north to Cabo Corrientes, it dropped to a tropical storm warning, with storm winds expected for a few more hours. A hurricane warning still covers Las Islas Marias, an island chain offshore. A hurricane watch runs from north of Cabo Corrientes to Bahia Tempehuaya.
Rain is now the biggest threat. The center expects 2 to 4 more inches along the coast of southwest and west-central Mexico. Parts of Jalisco could get 6 to 8 more inches early this week, and Sinaloa mainly on Wednesday and Thursday. Storm totals could reach 30 inches in spots in Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. The center warned of "life-threatening flooding and mudslides," mostly in steep terrain.
The storm is not done. Simon should keep drifting northwest into early Tuesday, then turn northeast. It is expected to approach the west-central coast on Wednesday into Thursday. It could gain some strength Tuesday and Wednesday and stay a hurricane through midweek. It should weaken fast once it moves inland.
Heavy rain flooded homes and streets in Manzanillo over the weekend, and soldiers helped families there, DW and The Watchers reported. Mexico put 28 municipalities in Jalisco and Colima under its highest storm alert, with 93 more on high alert. The Puerto Vallarta airport was set to stay closed until 8 a.m. local time Tuesday, airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico said, according to The Watchers.
Early forecasts had Simon coming ashore as a Category 4 storm, but its path shifted offshore, CNN reported. It still had 120 mph winds late Sunday night. It came days after Hurricane Polo hit Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, DW said.
What we know: Simon had 110 mph winds at 11 a.m. Eastern Monday, and Mexico swapped its mainland hurricane warning for a watch or a tropical storm warning.
What we don't: How much damage the storm has done so far, and exactly where it will come ashore later this week.
Where outlets agree DW and The Watchers both report that heavy rain flooded streets in Manzanillo and that soldiers helped residents there.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.