(México City) The strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the eastern Pacific in May slammed into a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing villages in southern Mexico on Monday.
Updated yesterday at 8:33 p.m.
Torrential rains and strong hurricane winds Agatha whipped palm trees and pushed tourists and residents into shelters in an area sparsely populated except for a handful of small communities along the shore.
The Oaxaca State Civil Defense Agency showed families scrambling in a shelter in Pochutla as well as a landslide and mud blocking the highway between that city and the state capital.
After training on Sunday, Agatha rapidly gained strength and made landfall as a powerful Category 2 hurricane on Monday afternoon, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Agatha made landfall about 10 kilometers west of Puerto Angel with winds up to 165 km/h, but quickly began to lose strength as it moved inland.
photo noaa via Associated Press
In the evening, the winds dropped to 130 km/h. The storm was moving northeast at 13 km/h, heading towards the Gulf of Mexico, where its remnants could reappear.
Near Puerto Angel, gusty winds, heavy rains and big waves have started hitting the seaside town of Zipolite, long known for its clothing-optional beach and bohemian vibe.
“There is a lot of rain and sudden gusts of wind,” said Silvia Ranfagni, manager of the Casa Kalmar hotel in Zipolite. The ocean is really choppy and it’s raining a lot. You can hear the wind howling. »
National emergency officials said they had assembled a task force of more than 9,300 people for the region and more than 200 shelters were opened as forecasters warned of dangerous storm surge and flooding due to heavy rains.
In the western surf town of Puerto Escondido, people took shelter and finished putting up plywood to keep windows from shattering in the high winds.
Photo JOSE DE JESUS CORTES, REUTERS
Fishermen pulling their boats onto the beach for safety as the bad weather begins to set in.
Jeff Masters, meteorologist at Yale Climate Connections and founder of Weather Underground, explained that hurricanes in the region usually originate from tropical waves coming off African shores.
“Since the African monsoon doesn’t usually start producing tropical waves until early or mid-May, there simply isn’t enough initial disturbance to cause many eastern Pacific hurricanes in May. , Mr. Masters wrote in an email. Additionally, water temperatures in May are cooler than they are at the height of the season, and wind shear is generally higher. »
Mr. Masters wasn’t sure thatAgatha was launched by a tropical wave – areas of low pressure that cross the tropics – but the storm benefited from warm waters and weak wind shear.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm is expected to drop 250 to 400 millimeters of rain over parts of Oaxaca, with isolated highs of 500 millimeters, raising fears of flash flooding and mudslides. .
In Huatulco, municipal authorities had closed schools and ordered the “absolute closure” of all beaches and its seven bays, many of which are only accessible by boat.
The Mexican Turtle Center – a former slaughterhouse turned conservation center in Mazunte – announced it was closed to visitors until further notice due to the hurricane.