Mexico · updated 2h ago · 3 min read
Hurricane Polo Threatens Mexico’s Baja California With Floods And Mudslides
Hurricane Polo a Category 3 storm approaching Baja California Sur, expected landfall Monday night. Threatens life-threatening winds, heavy rain and storm surge across Baja California Sur.
Whether Polo could create a second landfall on mainland Mexico.
9 of 10 outlets skipped it: mexican civil protection told people to unplug appliances before landfall.
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Reuters
“However, it could still make a second landfall on mainland Mexico as a hurricane late Monday or early Tuesday.”Read the original ↗
BBC
“The category three storm, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph (185 km/h), is expected to move over the state Baja California Sur”Read the original ↗
Reuters flags a second mainland landfall; BBC omits that possibility in the cited passage.
Baja braces for Polo
Hurricane Polo bore down on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Monday, threatening high winds, floods and mudslides as residents in Puerto San Carlos boarded up homes and workers hauled dirt and rubble to shore up embankments.
Rocío Sánchez, a fisherman, said, "Civil Protection told those of us here in San Carlos to evacuate because this is a high-risk area."
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Polo was a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) Sunday evening, and forecasters said it would hit the Mexican mainland after lashing Baja California with heavy rains.
The Mexican navy gathered personnel and humanitarian aid in the ports of Guaymas and Mazatlan and deployed three vessels that could ship aid to coastal communities isolated by the storm, while the town of San Juanico faced concern that washed-out roads could block access to medical facilities.
Gloriely Robles Meza, a manager at a small hotel, said, "We haven’t faced such a worrying situation in many years."
Shelters, closures, and warnings
Hurricane Polo was forecast to make landfall later on Monday or early on Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph (185 km/h) and heavy rainfall that could lead to life-threatening flooding and mudslides. Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío said temporary shelters had been opened should residents need to be evacuated, and the regional government of Baja California Sur ordered schools to remain closed on Monday as a preventive measure. Mexican authorities urged residents of Baja California Sur to prepare for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Polo on Monday, warning of life-threatening winds and flash floods.
The civil protection office told residents, "Before Hurricane Polo makes landfall, unplug electrical appliances and have an alternative light source ready," as restaurant and store owners in Loreto and Ciudad Constitucion boarded up doors and windows overnight. Polo was forecast to remain near major hurricane strength when it reaches Baja California Sur on Monday, and it expected the storm to dump 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of rain across the state.
Deaths and missing in Jalisco
Hurricane Polo’s rain and strong waves reached Mexico’s Pacific coast beyond Baja California Sur, and Reuters said two children died and their parents remained missing after their home was swept away in Jalisco state. RThe governor of Jalisco state reported that two children, aged three and 12, were found in the locality of Talpa de Allende after a sudden surge caused by heavy rains from the depression. The bodies were found about 700 meters from the residence, and RTL Info said search operations continued to locate the two adults.
At least two minors died and three people remained missing this Sunday in the state of Jalisco, and it said the bodies of two children, aged three and 12, were located in the community of La Cuesta in the municipality of Talpa de Allende. Governor Pablo Lemus said, "The heavy rains caused by Hurricane Polo unfortunately led to a house, with four family members inside, being dragged downstream in the La Cuesta community, in the Talpa municipality."