Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said it was hard to predict what damage would be done by the massive storm, which could be seen barrelling into Mexico from outer space.
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The nearby cities of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo were spared direct hits, and while a few damage has been reported in Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta – one of Mexico’s major resort cities – was left nearly entirely unscathed.
Kinetic Analysis Corp. had projected the storm could cause more than $3 billion in damages, with about a sixth of that total incurred by insurers.
On Saturday morning, no deaths or major damage were reported-surprising news after meteorologists’ predictions about the largest storm to ever make landfall.
The impending storm closed Puerto Vallarta’s airport, forcing WestJet to cancel one flight on Friday and five on Saturday and scuttling travel plans for Canadians hoping to escape to the popular tourist destination.
“We can’t let our guard down yet”.
The hurricane is expected to break apart and weaken once it passes over Mexico’s mountainous terrain, but forecasters said the storm’s residual moisture could lead to heavy rainfall this weekend in already drenched parts of Texas. “We continue to advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico”, its smartraveller website said.
Before reaching land, Patricia was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. Between Wednesday and Friday, the storm made a sudden, hulk-like transformation from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane. Nearly 24 hours after it made landfall, the United States National Hurricane Centre said it degenerated into a remnant low with 45kmh winds.
Patricia, which became a hurricane overnight, had maximum sustained winds of about 185 miles per hour (295 km per hour) as it moved toward the north-northwest at 10 mph (16 kph).
The hurricane was boosted by the El Niño cyclical weather pattern, which has warmed the Pacific waters and whipped up the extreme winds.
Mexican authorities evacuated thousands of residents and tourists and a state of emergency was declared in three states in Hurricane Patricia’s path.
Luckily, Patricia split the difference between the two cities and came onshore in a more rural region of Western Mexico.
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So far there have been no reports of casualties from the landslides but officials are telling everyone to stay safe.
