The storm was centered about 350km southeast of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo and was moving northwest at 25 km/h on a forecast path that would bring it near or over the area tomorrow.
Advertisement
Residents tow a boat out of the water as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Newton in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Monday Sept. 5, 2016.
While all eyes have been on Hermine in the Atlantic, a new Pacific storm threatens part of Mexico. The storm was moving north-northwest at 10 miles per hour (17 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (75 kph).
It is low season for tourism, and hotel staff said occupancy levels were average for this time of year.
Before the storm system became a tropical storm, at least 70 homes and schools were damaged in Acapulco in the state of Guerrero and 200 people were trapped in a housing complex, prompting air evacuations by police, marines and the army.
Newton’s maximum sustained winds increased to 65 miles per hour (105 kph), and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was expected to become a hurricane and make landfall in Baja California Sur sometime Tuesday.
After Newton reached hurricane strength over the Pacific yesterday, Mexico’s government issued a warning for the west coast of Baja California Sur from north of Puerto Cortes to Cabo San Lazaro.
Heavy rain in Guerrero on Saturday led to the flooding of at least 1,400 homes and a reported 30 landslides impacted the state’s highways, civil protection authorities said.
Los Cabos Mayor Arturo de la Rosa Escalante said storm shelters were being opened and low-lying areas would be evacuated.
The hurricane center warned that the post-tropical cyclone would cause a storm surge and tide that could flood normally dry areas in the northeastern United States. “There is enough food and fuel for the next 20 days”.
In September, 2014, six people died when Los Cabos was pummelled in by Hurricane Odile which caused millions of dollars in damage.
Advertisement
Newton is expected to produce rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches for coastal portions of the Mexican states of Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa and the state of Baja California Surr.
