hurricane-agatha-makes-landfall-in-mexico

Hurricane Agatha makes landfall in Mexico. 

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says that Hurricane Agatha hit land on Monday at 4 p.m. CT just west of Puerto Angel, Mexico, with winds of up to 105 mph. This is the earliest that a Category 2 storm has ever hit the coast of Mexico.

As of 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Agatha was about 65 miles north-northeast of Puerto Angel, Mexico, and had maximum sustained winds of about 70 mph. The storm got weaker after it hit land, but it was still a hurricane. NHC said that it was moving northeast at 8 mph.

The National Hurricane Center warned that storm surge flooding along the coast and hurricane-force winds in the state of Oaxaca could be “hazardous” and “life-threatening.” In addition, South Mexico will likely keep getting a lot of rain until Tuesday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said that parts of Oaxaca could get as much as 20 inches of rain from the storm, which could cause flash floods and mudslides.

Wind gusts, heavy rain, and big waves started hitting the beach town of Zipolite near Puerto Angel on Sunday night. Zipolite has been known for its clothing-optional beach and bohemian vibe for a long time. 

However, the beaches in the popular tourist spots of Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel, and Huatulco were cleared of sand by ominous grey skies and wind.

The manager of Zipolite’s Casa Kalmar hotel, Silvia Ranfagni, said, “It’s raining a lot, and there are sudden gusts of strong wind.” Ranfagni, who has decided to wait out Agatha at the property, said, “The ocean is very rough, and it’s raining a lot.” “You can hear howling from the wind.”

As forecasters warned of dangerous storm surges and flooding from heavy rains, national emergency officials said they had put together a task force of more than 9,300 people for the area and opened more than 200 shelters.

Jeff Masters, a meteorologist at Yale Climate Connections and the founder of Weather Underground, said that tropical waves coming off the coast of Africa usually start hurricanes in the area.