MEXICO CITY (AP) — Southwestern Mexico braced for heavy rain and mudslides Wednesday after Polo, a powerful Pacific cyclone, became a major hurricane. Forecasters also warned another system headed for Hawaii could cause catastrophic flooding later in the week.
Hurricane Polo, an “extremely dangerous” storm, is expected to skirt Mexico’s Guerrero state, submerging coastal areas with 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain through Thursday, according
to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Guerrero has been repeatedly pummeled by hurricanes in recent years.
Farther out in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Nolo was churning about 310 miles (498 kilometers) south of South Point, Hawaii. The storm is expected to approach the Big Island as early as Friday and could drop up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain, raising the possibility of flooding and mudslides.
Concepción López Villegas was busily bolstering her seaside restaurant in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, against the expected onslaught of rain. Strong waves were already hitting some beaches and López Villegas said she feared the storm could destroy the small business she worked decades to build.
“We’re worried and trying to protect our businesses,” López Villegas said. “And of course, we’re sad because it’s our heritage, our legacy that from one moment to another could be destroyed.”
Guerrero state was particularly at risk of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, the hurricane center said.
Polo, which was swirling a couple of hundred miles off the coast Wednesday afternoon, was not expected to make landfall, meteorologists and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said. Rain and strong winds had already started to pummel the coast, with waves crashing onto the normally pristine beaches.
The hurricane center warned that Polo’s deluge could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, in particular in Guerrero.
The region most under threat from the hurricane is rural and mountainous, scattered with a few small tourist towns and ports. Much of the area is marked by poverty and residents routinely complain authorities abandon them to fend for themselves during natural disasters.
Mexico’s government has called for evacuations in some areas and set up shelters for those affected. Thousands of military and Red Cross personnel have been deployed to the region as a preventive measure.
The National Weather Service said Tropical Storm Nolo would likely strengthen before closing in on the Big Island on Friday or Saturday.
The storm has the potential to be a major hurricane, John Bravender, a weather service warning coordination meteorologist, said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
While high winds are expected, Bravender said the main concern is the possibility of flash flooding. He said 20 to 30 inches (50 to 76 centimeters) of rain could fall through Saturday on southeastern parts of the Big Island, the same region hit hard in August by Hurricane Lala.
“That by itself could cause catastrophic flooding, but when you put that on top of grounds that we’ve been raining off and on for the last couple of months … that rain could cause even more damage," Bravender said.
He urged preparation across all Hawaii islands in case the storm’s trajectory shifts.
“You need to take action now,” said Bravender. “Today is really the last dry day you have to get ready.”
Kauai’s electric cooperative urged residents to prepare for “the possibility of prolonged power outages,” and to store nonperishable food and potable water.
Over 100 Kauai households remain without power from Hurricane Lowell, which passed west of the island on Sept. 7.
Hawaiian Electric, the state’s primary utility, said crews would return to at-risk areas to help residents prepare for the coming storm.
Hurricane Odalys, also in the Pacific, strengthened on Wednesday, carrying maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph). It churned about 1,265 miles (2,040 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and was not at risk of making landfall, according to the hurricane center.
An advisory said Odalys could increase in strength over the next couple of days but would likely weaken by the end of the week.
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Aoun reported from San Diego. Associated Press reporter Desiree Brooks in Atlanta contributed.
