As they cataloged the damage from the hemisphere’s most ferocious hurricane, Mexican authorities marveled that they escaped relatively unscathed.
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Patricia degraded from one of history’s most powerful hurricanes to an ordinary low-pressure system over northern Mexico, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Saturday, leaving surprisingly little damage in its wake and posing little threat beyond continued heavy rain.
It is a Category 5 hurricane, the highest rating possible, and was expected to make landfall as an “extremely dangerous” storm on Friday afternoon or evening, the Miami-based hurricane center said earlier. There are no reports of deaths or injuries.
The airports in Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Tepic were closed Friday, but officials announced an air bridge Saturday to ferry stranded travelers out of areas hit by the storm.
The severe storm was accompanied with torrential rains and devastating winds at a speed of 265 kmph at the time of landfall. The center, however, said that Patricia was “still strong” and a major hurricane over southwestern Mexico.
“The most important thing is that you are safe, that the menacing force of this hurricane could be faced and overcome and most importantly that you followed the recommendations of emergency services”, President Enrique Pena Nieto said during a visit to Colima, which escaped the worst of the storm. The Category 5 storm – which peaked offshore with winds of 200 miles an hour – ultimately inflicted less damage than many feared: The brunt of the hurricane did not reach the heavily populated cities of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. By 10 a.m. on Saturday the storm’s sustained winds dropped drastically to 35 miles per hour, and the central pressure has risen 110 millibars.
Mexican and worldwide tourists board a bus to be transported to a shelter while bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Patricia in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Friday.
On Saturday, the storm was heading inland through the mountains in western Mexico. Flooding and mudslides continue to be a concern as the storm moves northeast, but let’s hope it’s finished blowing us away with its stats.
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Tens of thousands of residents and tourists were evacuated before the storm made landfall, and Mexico’s president issued several warnings telling residents to seek shelter and stay indoors.
