Narda drenches Pacific resorts in Mexico

MEXICO CITY — Tropical Storm Narda caused heavy rains and some flooding in the resort of Zihuatanejo and other spots along Mexico’s Pacific coast Sunday before weakening into a tropical depression as it moved overland.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm brushed past Zihuatanejo and was centered about 55 miles east of the port of Manzanillo, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

It was moving to the northwest at 20 mph on a track that would take it near Puerto Vallarta, and forecasters said the storm would weaken further before its center moved back out over the Pacific early Monday.

Authorities reported flooded roads and rivers in Oaxaca state to the south, where thousands of people were evacuated as a precaution, and in the port of Lazaro Cardenas to the north. The storm also toppled trees and billboards in Acapulco.

Local media reported that a 26-year-old man died in Oaxaca while trying to cross a river in San Pedro Mixtepec.

The Hurricane Center said Narda was expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rainfall along the coast from Oaxaca to Nayarit — a stretch that includes Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta— and warned that life-threatening flash floods and mudslides were possible, especially in mountainous terrain.

Jalisco state suspended schools Monday in Puerto Vallarta and nearby floodprone areas. Guerrero state Gov. Hector Astudillo urged residents to exercise caution and to move to shelters if they live near rivers.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Lorenzo weakened to Category 3 force in the central Atlantic Ocean after several hours as a Category 5 — which made it the strongest storm ever observed so far north and east in the Atlantic basin. The hurricane center said that the storm had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph Sunday night.

Lorenzo was moving north-northeast at 10 mph and was centered about 1,260 miles west-southwest of the Azores, a Portuguese island chain.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, although forecasters expected the storm to remain strong as it approaches the Azores.