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UP FRONTSaturday 24 October 2015
Patricia Slams Mexico Coast as Category 5 Hurricane
C. SHERMAN
Associated Press
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico
(AP) — Hurricane Patricia
roared ashore in southwest-
ern Mexico as a Category 5
storm Friday, bringing lash-
ing rains, surging seas and
cyclonic winds hours after
it peaked as the strongest
storm ever recorded. Fore-
casters said it had potential Jalisco state coast near
to do “catastrophic” dam-
age.
There were early reports
of flooding and landslides,
but no word on fatalities or
major damage. TV news
reports from the coast
showed some toppled
trees and lampposts and
inundated streets.
Patricia’s center made
landfall in a relatively low-
populated stretch of the
Cuixmala. The nearest sig-
nificant city, Manzanillo,
was about 55 miles (85 ki- had reinforced homes of 200 mph (325 kph), ac-
lometers) southeast and with sandbags and shop cording to the National
outside the extent of the windows with boards and Hurricane Center.
storm’s hurricane-force tape, and hotels rolled up Patricia’s power while still
winds. beachfront restaurants. out at sea was comparable
The U.S. National Hurricane At a Red Cross shelter, to that of Typhoon Haiyan,
Center in Miami said the some 90 people waited which left more than 7,300
storm that had 200 mph anxiously in the heavy, hu- dead or missing in the Phil-
(325 kph) winds earlier in mid air, including senior ippines two years ago, ac-
A couple looks out to sea as rainfall increases with the approach of Hurricane Patricia in Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. Hurricane Patricia roared ashore in southwestern Mexico
as a Category 5 storm Friday, bringing lashing rains, surging seas and cyclonic winds hours after
it peaked as the strongest storm ever recorded.
(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
the day had weakened citizens in wheelchairs and cording to the U.N.’s World
some, but remained a very young children snuggled Meteorological Organiza-
dangerous Category 5 hur- between their parents on tion. More than 4 million
ricane with maximum sus- mattresses on the floor. people were displaced
tained winds of 165 mph Carla Torres and her family and over 1 million houses
(270 kph) at landfall. sought refuge there in the were destroyed or dam-
Patricia’s projected path afternoon, fearful of what aged in 44 provinces in the
headed over a mountain- Patricia might do to her central Visayas region, a
ous region dotted with home just two blocks from large cluster of islands.
isolated hamlets that are a river in an area vulner- Mexican officials declared
at risk for dangerous mud- able to high winds. a state of emergency in
slides and flash floods. The “Here we are with those dozens of municipalities in
storm was expected to who can give us help,” Tor- Colima, Nayarit and Jalisco
rapidly weaken over the res said. states, and schools were
mountains and dissipate Patricia formed suddenly closed.
Saturday, but was still ca- Tuesday as a tropical storm Many residents bought
pable of soaking the region and quickly strengthened supplies ahead of Patricia’s
with heavy rain. to a hurricane. Within 30 arrival. Authorities opened
Residents and tourists hun- hours it had zoomed to a hundreds of shelters and
kered down in shelters and record-beating Category announced plans to shut
homes across a coastal 5 storm, catching many off off electricity as a safety
stretch dotted with sleepy guard with its rapid growth. precaution.
fishing villages and gleam- By Friday it was the most According to the 2010
ing resorts, including Man- powerful hurricane on re- census, there were more
zanillo and the popular cord in the Western Hemi- than 7.3 million inhabitants
beach city of Puerto Val- sphere, with a central pres- in Jalisco state and more
larta. sure of 880 millibars and than 255,000 in Puerto Val-
In Puerto Vallarta, residents maximum sustained winds larta municipality. q