PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Simon made landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, with its eye remaining just offshore while its strongest winds and rain affected residents between the Sierra Madre and the ocean. The hurricane's center was moving parallel to the coast, approaching the Puerto Vallarta area, where the most intense winds and rain were anticipated to arrive around midnight and continue through Monday morning. The U.S. National Hurricane Center indicated uncertainty regarding whether the storm would make landfall, which could allow it to maintain its strength with sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph).
By midday Sunday, Simon's eye was approximately 65 miles (100 kilometers) from Cabo Corrientes, moving at about 7 mph (11 kph). Phillipe Pappin, a senior specialist at the hurricane center, noted that Cabo Corrientes is the area most likely to experience a direct hit from the storm. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 kilometers), and tropical-storm-force winds reach up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) from the storm's center, potentially affecting the entire region between Mexico's western coast and the Sierra Madre mountains.
Pappin stated, "We're expecting catastrophic wind and life-threatening storm surge impacts along that west-central coast of Mexico where the hurricane warning is currently in effect." He also mentioned the risk of life-threatening flooding and mudslides in higher terrain areas due to heavy rainfall associated with the storm.
Rainfall amounts could reach 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) in many areas, with some locations in Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco potentially receiving up to 30 inches (76 centimeters). As the storm approached Puerto Vallarta, National Guard vehicles patrolled the streets, and police used a megaphone to urge individuals to take shelter. Jalisco state suspended classes on Friday and Monday in 22 coastal municipalities and began evacuating residents from at-risk areas, while advising the tourism sector to ensure accommodations for workers and visitors in shelters or safe zones.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents in Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit, and Michoacan to remain sheltered until the government announces that the danger has passed. She emphasized following recommendations from civil protection officials and avoiding travel on public roads.
Hotel worker Víctor Martínez reported that he could not go to work due to suspended public transportation and the evacuation of most hotel guests. He expressed that the community's concerns about the hurricane were a source of comfort, recalling a previous Category 5 hurricane that struck the area in 2002.
Despite the risks posed by Simon, tourists continued to arrive in Puerto Vallarta. Visitors Ricardo Ramírez and Brenda Villarreal, who have never experienced a hurricane, were searching for food when they encountered police urging people to take shelter. Ramírez noted their lack of preparedness for the situation, while Villarreal mentioned their planned vacation from Guadalajara, Jalisco's capital.
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