Hurricane Simon, now Category 3, brings flooding along Mexico's Pacific coast

Hurricane Simon weakened to a Category 3 storm as it moved along, and just off, Mexico's Pacific coast. DW and Reuters reported its path, while Anadolu reported that it weakened to Category 3 off the coast. According to DW and Reuters, the storm brought heavy rain, dangerous winds and flooding to western Mexico.

DW quoted an advisory from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC): "Additional weakening is forecast but Simon is still expected to be a strong hurricane as it passes near the coast of west-central Mexico tonight."

The storm's path

According to DW, Simon moved parallel to the shoreline on Sunday and hit resorts and towns along the coast. Reuters reported that it moved northwest just off the coast early on Monday. DW reported that the storm's center approached the Puerto Vallarta area in Jalisco. The most damaging winds and rain there were expected around midnight and through Monday morning. According to DW, the NHC said Simon would likely move farther offshore on Monday before turning back toward the coast on Wednesday.

Alerts and response

According to DW, Mexican authorities placed 28 municipalities in Jalisco and Colima under the highest cyclone alert level. Another 93 municipalities were under high alert, according to civil protection bulletins cited by DW. Reuters reported that riverside communities were put on alert for possible evacuations.

According to DW, Puerto Vallarta International Airport was temporarily closed. Authorities suspended non-essential activities and set up emergency shelters in threatened coastal communities.

In Manzanillo, residents waded through flooded streets on Sunday morning, according to DW. Soldiers helped rescue residents after overnight rain. DW reported that resident Cecilia Palomar told Reuters outside her home: "The beds, the refrigerators, the stoves, all the furniture got wet. The whole house flooded."

According to DW, Simon arrived days after Hurricane Polo struck the Baja California Peninsula as a Category 2 storm, knocking down power lines and flooding streets.

What each side says

• US National Hurricane Center: DW quoted senior specialist Philippe Papin as saying: "We're expecting catastrophic wind and life-threatening storm surge impacts along that west-central coast of Mexico where the hurricane warning is currently in effect." He also warned of flooding, mudslides in higher terrain and significant swells.
• Experts cited by DW: Unnamed experts said the entire area between Mexico's western coast and the Sierra Madre mountains could be affected.
• President Claudia Sheinbaum: According to DW, she urged residents of coastal communities in Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Michoacan to stay indoors.

What is not yet clear

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include figures on deaths, injuries or missing people. They do not describe the extent of damage beyond flooding in Manzanillo. They do not say how many people were evacuated or are in shelters. They do not give Simon's wind speeds or exact position, or say whether it made landfall. Most details come from a single outlet, DW.

Analysis

Simon's forecast track creates two separate periods of risk. Coastal areas faced the storm as it passed on Sunday and Monday. The NHC's reported forecast of a turn back toward the coast on Wednesday could extend that risk, but the reports do not describe its expected impact. Alerts in 121 municipalities point to wide preparation. The full human and material toll remains unclear, because the reports include no casualty or damage figures. With Hurricane Polo striking Baja California days earlier, authorities may face pressure on response resources. How far that matters will depend on information not yet available.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.