Hurricane Simon struck Mexico’s Pacific coastline as a powerful Category 4 storm on Sunday, with its eye hovering just off the shore while unleashing strong winds and heavy rain on residents between the Sierra Madre mountains and the sea. The storm’s center moved parallel to the coast, approaching the Puerto Vallarta region, where the most severe winds and rainfall were forecasted to impact the area from midnight into Monday morning.
Although Simon’s sustained winds decreased to 185 kilometers per hour late Sunday, as reported by the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, it remained a significant threat. The situation is particularly concerning for individuals in the Puerto Vallarta vicinity, a popular spot for Canadian travelers. Beyond the resort zones, many local residents live in communities with housing structures that may not withstand the storm’s impact.
As of late Sunday, Simon’s eye was tracking northwest approximately 75 kilometers south of Cabo Corrientes at a speed of around seven kilometers per hour. Philippe Papin, a senior hurricane center expert, highlighted Cabo Corrientes as the region most likely to face a direct hit from the storm. Located at the southern tip of Bahia de Banderas, Cabo Corrientes is situated near where Puerto Vallarta overlooks the Pacific Ocean.
Pappin warned of the potential for catastrophic wind, life-threatening storm surge, heavy rainfall leading to flooding and landslides in elevated terrains along the Mexican coast, and significant ocean swells in the west central coast where the hurricane warning is enforced.
Regarding Simon’s landfall prediction, Pappin mentioned the challenge in forecasting due to the storm’s proximity to the coast. The hurricane was also causing heavy rainfall in southwestern Mexico, with anticipated amounts ranging from 25 to 76 centimeters in various regions, posing risks of flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous areas.
Ahead of the storm’s impact on Puerto Vallarta, National Guard patrols and police interventions aimed to ensure public safety, with evacuation measures in place in at-risk zones. Businesses and residents took precautions by boarding up establishments and securing property. The hurricane center emphasized the potential for a dangerous storm surge and destructive waves along the coast near where the center would make landfall.
Despite the looming threat of Hurricane Simon, Canadian tourist Ed Currie, currently vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, expressed a relaxed approach, indicating plans to stay indoors and observe the situation from the hotel, unsure of what to expect in the coming days.
