Hurricane Simon hits western Mexico after tropical systems kill 5 people

Hurricane Simon continued to move slowly along the coast of west-central Mexico on Tuesday on a path expected to continue for about a day. Strong winds and torrential rain were brought by the hurricane which, along with other tropical systems, caused five deaths and extensive damage to cities and resorts along the Pacific coast in recent days.

While the eye of the hurricane remained offshore, its outer bands this week struck communities between the Sierra Madre and the Pacific Ocean, near Puerto Vallarta.

Simon’s strongest sustained winds at 90 mph allowed a category 1 stormbut the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said it was technically a small tropical cyclone. Simon was 105 miles west of Cabo Corrientes and heading northwest at 2 mph.

Forecasters said the storm’s intensity could fluctuate over the next few days, but would likely maintain hurricane strength through mid-week. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 10 miles from Simon’s core and tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles.

Rain and flooding forecast for Hurricane Simon

Up to 3 inches of rain are expected from Simon in the Mexican states of Baja California Sur, Nayarit and Sinaloa by Friday, the weather service said.

Moisture associated with Simon is expected to bring a risk of flash flooding tonight through Friday morning in parts of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, according to CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. Rainfall could total 6 inches and maybe 8 in some places.

Tropical weather turns deadly

In the Mexican state of Baja California, rescuers combed parts of the coastal city of Ensenada on Monday, where floodwaters swept away vehicles and damaged homes. At least four people have died in the state due to the impact of post-tropical cyclone Rachel.

Resident Johana Nuriulu said the flooding started overnight, shortly after heavy rain knocked out the power. “We heard a loud noise that sounded like ocean waves, but very loud,” she said.

Nuriulu said she went outside and discovered that a nearby creek had overflowed, sending water through the neighborhood. Waters flooded streets and homes, washing away vehicles and other property. “Everything was taken away,” Nuriulu said.

Several communities have been isolated by landslides and overflowing rivers elsewhere in Baja California.

In the afternoon, the Mexican army used helicopters to rescue 32 people, including 22 foreigners, from a ranch in Ensenada. Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila said 13 of them were young people.

State Security Secretary General Laureano Carrillo said some members of the group were missionaries gathered at the ranch and that among them were Germans and Americans.

Baja California Civil Protection Coordinator Ignacio Lozoya said Monday evening that four bodies had been found in Ensenada: a 13-year-old girl on Sunday and two women and a 4-year-old boy on Monday. Lozoya said six people were still missing: four in Ensenada and two from the town of San Felipe, a father and son who went fishing Saturday and did not return.

According to Ávila, some 14,000 federal and state personnel have been deployed throughout Baja California to assist affected residents and respond to the emergency.

To the south, Simon downed trees and utility poles, blocked roads and flooded homes in coastal towns in Guerrero state, including the main seaport of Acapulco, Gov. Evelyn Salgado said at a news conference.

A 71-year-old man died after a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo, Guerrero’s capital, Salgado said.

In Puerto Vallarta, workers removed wood panels from boarded up storefronts and businesses reopened Monday as rains eased. The popular tourist destination’s international airport suspended operations until Tuesday morning.

“Personally, I think we have to stay on alert because we don’t really know if it’s going to happen, if it goes elsewhere or if it dissipates,” said Noelia Carrillo, an employee of a tourism agency.

Impact of storms in the United States

Rachel weakened into a post-tropical cyclone as it moved north into southern California. The storm hit the coast with unusually large waves, which tore up a boardwalk and destroyed homes in Long Beach. Some residents were forced to evacuate.

Las Vegas tied an all-time daily rainfall record for October when it received 1.08 inches of rain Sunday morning, according to the U.S. National Weather Service. The record was set in 1947.

Videos posted on social media showed a torrent of water surging down a street near the Las Vegas Strip, with a Ferris wheel and casinos in the background.

Flood advisories were mostly lifted Monday evening in Utah, Arizona and elsewhere in the Southwest.

In Utah, dozens of runners and volunteers participating in the Moab 240 ultramarathon were evacuated Sunday after being stranded by flooding. The race passes through Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.

The additional precipitation is not associated with Rachel, but with a different weather system moving across the West, forecasters said. The precipitation is expected to end by Wednesday.

Power was gradually restored after Hurricane Isaias hits the southeastern United States.

At least four deaths have been linked to Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, which made landfall Friday as a Category 2 hurricane near Destin, Florida, a Gulf Coast vacation spot filled with skyscrapers and tourist shops. The storm then roared over Alabama with tropical force winds before dissipating further north.