Hurricane Simon battered Mexico’s Pacific coast on Monday with heavy rain and strong winds, while the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel left communities flooded in the US Southwest. The weather systems caused deaths, damaged homes and roads, and forced evacuations across affected areas.Simon, a Category 2 hurricane, remained offshore as its outer bands lashed communities near Puerto Vallarta. In Guerrero state, the storm uprooted trees and electricity poles, blocked roads and flooded homes, including in the port city of Acapulco, governor Evelyn Salgado said.Reports claim that five people have died due to the hurricane.The US national hurricane center said Simon was expected to remain a hurricane through midweek before making landfall near Sinaloa on Thursday. Rainfall of 5 to 10 inches (12.7 to 25.4 cm) over west-central Mexico in the coming days could trigger life-threatening floods and mudslides.In Puerto Vallarta, workers removed wooden panels from storefronts and businesses reopened as rainfall eased. However, the international airport suspended operations until Tuesday morning.“Personally, I think we should remain on alert because we don’t really know whether it will arrive, move elsewhere or dissipate,” Noelia Carrillo told news agency AP.
Rachel triggers deadly flooding in Baja California
In Baja California, rescuers searched parts of Ensenada on Monday after floodwaters swept away vehicles and damaged homes. Residents described being caught off guard by the sudden surge of water after heavy rain knocked out electricity.Landslides and overflowing rivers also cut off several communities across the state.The Mexican military used helicopters to rescue 32 people, including 22 foreigners and 13 children, from a ranch in Ensenada. State secretary of security general Laureano Carrillo said some of those rescued were missionaries attending a meeting at the ranch, including Germans and Americans.At least 10 people were reported missing and a young girl was killed in the aftermath of Rachel, Baja California governor Marina del Pilar Ávila said. Around 14,000 federal and state personnel had been deployed to assist residents and respond to the emergency.Rachel weakened into a post-tropical cyclone as it moved north into Southern California. It brought unusually large waves that damaged a boardwalk and battered homes in Long Beach, forcing some residents to evacuate.
Las Vegas records October rainfall high
The storm’s remnants also caused flooding in Las Vegas, which recorded 1.08 inches (2.74 cm) of rain by Sunday morning, tying its all-time daily rainfall record for October. The previous record was set in 1947, according to the US national weather service.Videos shared on social media showed floodwaters rushing through a street near the Las Vegas Strip, with casinos and a Ferris wheel visible in the background.Flood advisories were largely lifted by late Monday across Utah, Arizona and other parts of the Southwest.Meanwhile, power restoration continued in the US Southeast after Hurricane Isaias struck the region. At least four deaths have been linked to the storm, which made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane near Destin, Florida, on Friday before moving into Alabama with tropical-force winds.Drier conditions were forecast across parts of the mid-Atlantic and Southeast over the next few days, although temperatures were expected to remain above normal in some areas.
