Hurricane Simon skirts Mexico’s Pacific coast with Category 4 winds and flooding risk

Hurricane Simon was moving north along Mexico’s Pacific coast on Sunday as a powerful Category 4 storm, with its core of strongest winds and rain affecting coastal communities. Associated Press, citing the US National Hurricane Center, reported sustained winds of about 155 mph — just below the Category 5 threshold.

Authorities placed municipalities in Jalisco and Colima on maximum alert, opened temporary shelters and urged residents to suspend non-essential travel. El País reported that Puerto Vallarta airport was temporarily closed and that officials expected exceptional rainfall across parts of Jalisco, Colima and Michoacán. Forecasts warned of flash floods, landslides and dangerous surf even where the eye remained offshore.

Simon intensified rapidly after forming as a tropical storm on Wednesday. Its exact landfall path and strength remained subject to change as the storm tracked close to the coastline, making local civil-protection instructions more important than a single forecast point.

The principal danger was not limited to wind. Mountainous terrain can amplify rainfall impacts far inland, while storm surge and large waves threaten low-lying coastal areas. Residents in warning zones were advised to use official shelters and avoid flooded roads and beaches.