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Clouds invade Mazatlan, Mexico on Tuesday, October 23, 2018, before the arrival of Hurricane Willa. Willa is about to face a collision Tuesday afternoon with part of the Pacific coast of Mexico, its high winds and high waves threatening high-rise complexes, surf beaches and fishing villages. (Marco Ugarte / Associated Press)
MAZATLAN, Mexico – On Tuesday evening, Hurricane Willa swept the Mexican Pacific coast with winds of 200 km / h (195 km / h), threatening a large resort area as well as fishing villages and farms. flying over a prison colony off the coast.
The National Hurricane Center in the United States said in an evening report that the eye of the dangerous Category 3 storm was about to land and that little force had previously varied.
He warned people not to venture out during "the relative calm of the eye, as dangerous winds will suddenly increase" as it passes.
The center of the storm hit a coast about 80 km south of Mazatlan, a seaside resort with high-rise hotels and about 500,000 people, including many American and Canadian expatriates.
Alberto Hernandez, a hotel employee in Teacapan, near the place where the storm was hitting the ground, expressed confidence in the fact that the building would withstand. He and his son, who also work at the hotel, stayed at work, although the rest of his family had left.
"We had rain all day. There is no one in the streets. Everything is closed, "said Hernandez. "But not everyone wanted to leave, even though the authorities have made it clear that whoever is doing so is doing so at his own risk."
Torrential rains started in the afternoon and emergency officials said they evacuated more than 4,250 people to coastal towns and set up 58 shelters before the storm.
The storm also affected the Islas Marias, a group of Mexican islands located about 100 km from the mainland and including a nature reserve and a federal prison. The federal authorities refused to comment on the precautions taken at the prison, citing security concerns.
As Willa closed her doors, Mazatlan's beach had almost disappeared, the waves breaking against the coastal boulevard beneath the dark clouds that threatened. Some surfers took advantage of the high waves even as workers climbed the windows of hotels, shops and houses. The schools were closed and the streets almost empty.
Some families went to a Mazatlan Convention Center, which opened as a shelter. They laid blankets along the walls and waited for the storm.
"The house we live in is not well built," said Sergio Ernesto Meri Franco, who rents a studio.
The federal government has issued an "extraordinary emergency" decree for 19 municipalities in the states of Nayarit and Sinaloa.
Bob Swanson, from Saskatchewan, Canada, spends two to six months a year at his home in Mazarlan's Cerritos near the coast. He filled his washing machine with water, filled his fuel tank and refueled car in case he needed to go to the mountains for his safety.
"I look forward to it," he said on the phone, adding that he was sitting on his porch and was smoking a cigarette.
Hurricane winds extended 55 km from the center of Willa and tropical storm winds were felt up to 185 km.
Forecasters have stated that the hurricane could bring rainfall between 15 and 30 centimeters and reach some parts of Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa states, as well as floods and landslides in mountainous areas. . areas.
Further south, the remnants of Tropical Storm Vicente continued to bring heavy rains that caused deadly floods and mudslides. The head of the Federal Disaster Agency, Luis Felipe Puente, said that 11 people had died as a result of Vicente. Local officials had previously estimated this figure at 12.
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Isabella Cota, Associated Press Writer in Mexico contributed to the writing of this report.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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