Flooding began in parts of Baja California Sur on Monday as Hurricane Polo approached Mexico’s Pacific coast, while officials in Hawaii continued assessing damage from Hurricane Nolo and warned that heavy rain remained possible.
In Puerto San Carlos, high tides and waves breached sea barriers, and hundreds of residents in the region moved to shelters. Authorities urged people in vulnerable homes to evacuate, stay off streets and prepare for travel restrictions and port closures. Mexico’s navy positioned personnel and vessels to deliver aid if coastal communities became isolated.
Polo was a Category 3 hurricane Monday morning, with sustained winds of 185 kilometres per hour, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters expected dangerous winds, flash flooding and mudslides in Mexico as the storm approached landfall. Its remnants could later bring substantial rain to Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Texas, where some areas have already experienced flooding.
Elsewhere along Mexico’s Pacific coast, Tropical Storm Rachel had sustained winds of 85 kilometres per hour and was about 365 kilometres south-southwest of Acapulco. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.
In Hawaii, Nolo moved away from the Big Island after weekend rainfall closed some highways, where rushing water and boulders obstructed travel. Officials were evaluating damage as the storm headed toward Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, where conditions were expected to worsen.
More than 10,000 homes and businesses, mainly in western Maui, remained without electricity Monday morning. Hawaiian Electric attributed most outages to storm damage and said high winds had delayed aerial inspections of transmission lines. Forecasters said Nolo could still produce torrential rain in parts of the state despite its westward movement.
The Pacific’s heightened storm activity is consistent with El Niño years, a National Weather Service forecaster said. Residents in both regions faced continuing disruptions while authorities monitored conditions.