Willa gives ’em the willies
Cat 5 hurricane threatens Mexico’s Pacific coast
MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Willa grew into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm and swept toward Mexico’s Pacific coast with winds of 260 km/h Monday, threatening a stretch of highrise resort hotels, surfing beaches and fishing villages.
Hotels started taping up their windows, and officials began removing thousands of people and shuttered schools in a low-lying landscape where towns sit amid farmland tucked between the sea and lagoons.
The hurricane was expected to pass over or near the Islas Marias — a set of islands about 96 km offshore that includes a nature preserve and a federal prison — early Tuesday.
Forecasters said Willa would then blow ashore in the afternoon or evening along a 220-km stretch extending from the resort town of Mazatlan to San Blas.
It was projected to weaken somewhat before hitting land but was still expected to be extremely dangerous.
The governments of Sinaloa and Nayarit states ordered coastal region schools to close and began preparing emergency shelters.
Enrique Moreno, mayor of Escuinapa, a municipality of about 60,000 on Willa’s track, said officials were trying to evacuate the seaside village of Teacapan. He estimated 3,000 residents would be moved but expected some would try to stay.
“The people don’t want to evacuate, but it’s for their security,” he said.
About 100 km up the coast in Mazatlan, with a population of about 500,000, Mayor Jose Joel Boucieguez said officials prepared shelters and were closely monitoring low-lying areas.
Mazatlan is a popular vacation spot and home to a large number of American and Canadian expatriates.
As of midday Monday, Willa was centred about 190 km southwest of Cabo Corrientes and was moving north at 11 km/h.
Hurricane-force winds extended 45 km from the storm’s centre, and tropical storm-force winds were up to 165 km out.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Willa could bring 150-300 mm of rain — with up to 450 mm in some places — to parts of Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa states, with flash flooding and landslides possible in mountainous areas.