Lidia strengthens into a Category 4
Hurricane Lidia strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Tuesday evening as it prepared to make landfall on the west coast of Mexico, bringing strong wind and heavy rains that could trigger flooding and mudslides in some areas.
By Tuesday evening, the storm had strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” hurricane, forecasters said. It was located about 115 miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s west coast. As of about 3 p.m. ET, its sustained winds had reached 125 mph, with even higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center. Once a storm’s winds exceed 74 mph, it is considered a hurricane.
Lidia was projected to make landfall Tuesday near Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco. The storm was then expected to move inland over west-central Mexico on Tuesday night, forecasters said. Forecasters predicted that the storm would continue to strengthen as it approached the shore before weakening quickly as it moved over land.
As the storm approached Tuesday evening, residents in the coastal area of Puerto Vallarta were stocking up on goods and taking shelter. Beachside towns had gone quiet, their boardwalks empty of vendors and visitors. Several flights to the city’s airport were canceled, two cruise ships were rerouted, and public transportation in the region was to be suspended at 5 p.m. local time, officials said.
Susana Rodríguez Mejía, a spokesperson for Jalisco’s state government, said authorities had opened three temporary shelters, and that businesses in the resort town were temporarily closed. Officials have advised most people to shelter at home, and said that those living near rivers, streams or mountainous areas should instead go to the government-run shelters. Tourists, Rodríguez Mejía added, should be able to shelter at their hotels.
Puerto Vallarta was last hit by Hurricane Nora in August 2021, which caused the Cuale River to overflow, destroying a bridge and killing at least three people.
Exact population counts for the regions that might be affected by Lidia were not available.
A hurricane warning was in effect Tuesday for the Islas Marías and an area in west-central Mexico from Manzanillo to El Roblito.
A tropical storm warning was in effect from El Roblito to Mazatlán and from Punta San Telmo to Manzanillo on Tuesday. Lidia is expected to produce 4-8 inches of rain — and in some areas up to 12 inches — through Wednesday across the state of Nayarit, southern portions of the state of Sinaloa.