MEXICO CITY (AP) – The first hurricane of the season formed on Sunday on the South Pacific coast of Mexico and quickly gained power ahead of a planned strike along a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing villages.
Hurricane Agatha could make landfall near the strong hurricane on Monday in the area near Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel, in the southern state of Oaxaca, a region that includes relaxed tourists from Huatulco, Mazunte and Zipolite. .
At around noon on Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said the newly formed hurricane had sustained maximum winds of 90 mph (150 kph) and was centered about 195 miles (315 kilometers) in the east. west-southwest of Puerto Angel. It was heading north at 2 mph (4 mph).
There was a hurricane warning between the port of Salina Cruz and the Chacahua Lagoons.
The Oaxaca Civil Defense Office said the outer bands of the hurricane were already hitting the shore. The office posted photos of fishermen dragging their boats to the beaches to protect them from the storm.
Huatulco municipal authorities ordered the “absolute closure” of all the beaches in the complex and its famous “seven bays”, many of which can only be reached by boat. They also closed local schools and began installing storm shelters.
East of Zipolite, long known for its beach with optional clothing and bohemian atmosphere, staff at the small Casa Kalmar hotel gathered outdoor furniture and placed wooden shutters to prevent strong winds blew glass windows and doors.
“The biggest concern here is the wind,” said hotel manager Silvia Ranfagni.
With only one guest, and many cancellations due to the hurricane, Ranfagni had planned to leave Agatha on the property, which is three or four blocks from the beach.
“I’ll lock myself in here with my animals,” he said, referring to his dog and cats.
The government’s Mexican Turtle Center, a former slaughterhouse that has been turned into a conservation center in Mazunte, announced it was closed to visitors until further notice due to the hurricane.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned of dangerous coastal flooding, as well as large, destructive waves near where Agatha made landfall and destructive waves.
The storm was expected to fall from 10 to 16 inches (250 to 400 millimeters) of rain in parts of the state of Oaxaca, with isolated highs of 20 inches (500 millimeters), which posed the threat. of sudden floods and landslides of mud.
Because the current path of the storm would take it through the narrow waist of the isthmus of Mexico, the hurricane center said there was a possibility that the remnants of the storm could resurface over the Gulf of Mexico.
In northern Guatemala, a woman and her six children were killed Saturday when a landslide hit her home, but the crash did not appear to be related to Agatha.