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Category 4 Hurricane Simon threatened coastal communities and popular tourist destinations along Mexico’s Pacific coast on Sunday, as authorities urged residents to take shelter, according to CNN.
Operations were suspended at the international airport in Puerto Vallarta, a resort city on Bahía de Banderas, as the storm moved north-northwest offshore. Flights at Manzanillo airport were also suspended for the day.
Simon was moving at 7 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, in a 1 p.m. ET update issued Sunday by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm was about 85 miles west-northwest of Manzanillo, in Colima state, and 65 miles south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes, in Jalisco state.
Although earlier forecasts had projected a Sunday landfall, Simon changed course and its track became harder to predict. It was expected to remain offshore through Monday, while forecast models differed on whether it would move inland.
Laura Velázquez Alzúa, national coordinator of Mexico’s Civil Protection Agency, said the hurricane was still “very close to the Mexican coast” despite not having made landfall. Its effects, including strong winds, high waves and storm surge, were expected to continue through Monday, particularly along northern Jalisco.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people in Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán and Nayarit to remain sheltered until officials announced that the danger had passed. The Civil Protection Agency warned of exceptional rainfall and intense winds, adding that a sudden lull in wind and rain could create a deceptive sense of calm.
Nonessential activities were suspended and precautionary evacuations were continuing, Sheinbaum said. Police in Puerto Vallarta closed the boardwalk and urged tourists to seek shelter, the Associated Press reported.
Mexico’s Navy deployed more than 4,600 personnel, along with excavation equipment, heavy machinery and other emergency resources, to support the response.
Simon’s heavy rain had already caused flooding and damage. Federal authorities were working to restore power in some areas, including Acapulco, in Guerrero state. In Manzanillo, the Navy helped pump water from flooded homes.
Manzanillo resident Cecilia Palomar told Reuters that water began rising inside her home at dawn. She said beds, refrigerators, heaters and other furniture were soaked, and the entire house was flooded.
Puerto Vallarta airport was expected to remain closed until 10 a.m. ET on Monday, the Pacific Airport Group said.
