Hurricane Simon nears Mexico with 155 mph winds and flooding fears

Live updates

1. 2h ago

   Hurricane Simon Batters Mexico With 155 MPH Winds

   Hurricane Simon is battering Mexico's Pacific coast with 155 mph winds, operating as a Category 3 storm after weakening slightly from Category 4 strength. The eye of the hurricane remains just offshore, lashing beachside communities, tourist areas, and towns located between the Sierra Madre mountains and the ocean. Mexican President Sheinbaum has urged coastal residents to stay indoors. The storm is forecast to bring 10 to 20 inches of rain across parts of southwestern Mexico, with isolated totals reaching up to 30 inches.

   Why it matters

   The storm system threatens catastrophic flooding and mudslides as it moves slowly up the coast of west-central Mexico. Tropical weather systems in the region have already caused six deaths and widespread damage in Pacific coastal towns and resorts. Puerto Vallarta anticipates direct impacts from the storm around midnight Sunday through Monday morning.

   What is confirmed

   • Hurricane Simon reached 155 mph winds, placing it just below the threshold for a Category 5 storm.
   • The storm weakened slightly to a Category 3 hurricane as it pounded Mexico's Pacific coast.
   • Mexican President Sheinbaum urged coastal residents to remain indoors.
   • Parts of southwestern Mexico could receive 10 to 20 inches of rain, with some areas getting up to 30 inches.
   • Prior tropical weather systems in the area caused six deaths and damage in Pacific coastal towns and resorts.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The hurricane eye was expected to move inland later Sunday.
   • The storm was expected to impact Puerto Vallarta around midnight Sunday and continue through Monday morning.

   What to watch next

   • Landfall timing of the storm eye along Mexico's Pacific coast
   • Rainfall totals and severe flood impacts across southwestern Mexico
   • Government damage assessments following the storm passage through tourist areas and towns
   Sources used for this update (27)

   1. www.yahoo.com — Yahoo
   2. The New York Times — Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel Target Mexico as Isaias Hits Gulf
   3. Yale Climate Connections — Two more landfalls expected this weekend, both on Mexico’s Pacific coast
   4. AP News — A ferocious Hurricane Simon nears Mexico with 155 mph winds and flooding fears
   5. NPR — Hurricane Simon nears Mexico with 155 mph winds and flooding fears
   6. The New York Times — 2 Storms Bring Flood Risks to Mexico and the Southwest
   7. AP News — Live updates: Hurricane Simon nears the Pacific coast of Mexico as a Category 4 storm
   8. Bloomberg.com — Dual Tropical Storms Hit Both US Coasts With Floods and Outages
   9. Reuters — Mexico's Sheinbaum urges coastal residents to remain indoors as Hurricane Simon nears coast
   10. CBC — Hurricane Simon hits Mexico's Pacific coast, slamming towns and resorts
   11. CNN — Hurricane Simon skirts Mexico’s Pacific coast as beachside communities and tourist areas prepare for impacts
   12. PBS — Hurricane Simon hits Mexico's Pacific coast with damaging winds and rain
   confidence 90%