Mexico's Pacific coast braces for Hurricane Polo's life-threatening landfall
SPY•Category 3 Hurricane Polo, with winds near 115 mph, was expected to make landfall in Baja California Sur on Monday, bringing 6 to 12 inches of rain. The storm could make a second landfall in southern Sonora late Monday or early Tuesday.
1. Landfall preparations
Mexican authorities urged residents of Baja California Sur to prepare for life-threatening winds and flash floods as Polo approached. In Loreto and Ciudad Constitucion, restaurant and store owners boarded up businesses; authorities opened temporary shelters in five municipalities.
2. Rain and storm impacts
The National Hurricane Center said Polo was about 110 miles southwest of Cabo San Lazaro early Monday, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph. It forecast 6 to 12 inches of rain in Baja California Sur and 4 to 6 inches in Sonora, with isolated totals up to 8 inches, raising the risk of flooding and mudslides. Storm surge could bring coastal flooding and destructive waves.
3. Second landfall possible
Polo was expected to move inland along Baja California Sur late Monday before a possible second landfall in southern Sonora later Monday or early Tuesday. The storm has prompted evacuations, port closures and school cancellations; local authorities said two children died and their parents remained missing after a home was swept away in Jalisco, and a young woman was swept away by currents in Puerto Vallarta.
