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The people’s newsroom

WorldAmericas

Hurricane Simon kills one in Mexico, weakens off coast before turning towards Sinaloa

The storm skirted the Jalisco resorts around Puerto Vallarta instead of striking them head-on. Forecasters say it could regain strength and come ashore later this week.

From the editorial desk · Mexico CityPublished
The seafront in Puerto Vallarta, on Mexico's Pacific coast
The seafront in Puerto Vallarta, on Mexico's Pacific coastNOAA / Wikimedia

Key points

  1. A 71-year-old man was killed when a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo, Guerrero.
  2. Simon weakened to 110 mph winds on Monday as it moved slowly offshore.
  3. Forecasters expect it to approach the coast on Wednesday or Thursday, with Mazatlán in its path.

Hurricane Simon has killed one person in Mexico as it crawled along the country’s Pacific coast, sparing the beach resorts around Puerto Vallarta a direct hit but leaving forecasters warning that it could swing back and come ashore later this week.

A 71-year-old man “died when a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo”, Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said at the daily presidential press conference on Monday.

Weaker, but not finished

Simon peaked as a Category 4 storm and had been expected to strike Jalisco over the weekend. Instead it changed course and stayed offshore, losing strength as it interacted with the mountains. By Monday morning its maximum sustained winds had dropped to 110 mph (175 km/h), and it was about 90 km west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, moving north-west at just 6 km/h, the US National Hurricane Center said.

The centre expects Simon to turn north-east and approach west-central Mexico on Wednesday into Thursday, and says it could strengthen again before then. Laura Velázquez, Mexico’s national civil protection coordinator, said “it will hit Mazatlán, Sinaloa, as a Category 1 hurricane”.

Up to 76 cm of rain is possible in parts of Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco, with a risk of life-threatening floods and mudslides. Authorities have urged people in Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa to stay away from beaches and breakwaters.

Calm in Puerto Vallarta

In Puerto Vallarta, skies cleared on Monday and residents returned to the seafront promenade, though waves still crashed hard and navy personnel patrolled the boardwalk. On Sunday, as the storm approached, President Claudia Sheinbaum had urged people to stay sheltered. “Precautionary evacuation efforts to safe zones are ongoing; the priority is our safety,” she wrote.

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