Hurricane Simon weakens to Category 2 off Mexico; one dead, landfall seen Thursday
Hurricane Simon weakened to a Category 2 storm on Monday with sustained winds of 105 mph as it moved off Mexico's west coast, according to the US National Hurricane Center. The storm's eye remained just offshore, but its most powerful winds and rain kept slamming coastal communities between the Sierra Madre and the ocean.
In Guerrero state, an elderly person died after a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo, the state capital, Governor Evelyn Salgado said. President Claudia Sheinbaum described the damage so far as “minor,” with the worst effects in Guerrero, some damage in Colima, and additional impacts from Tropical Storm Rachel in Baja California. Puerto Vallarta's international airport suspended operations until 8 am local time on Tuesday.
Forecasters say Simon is expected to remain a hurricane through midweek, possibly re-intensifying on Tuesday and Wednesday, before turning north-east and making landfall sometime Thursday near Sinaloa with winds near 100 mph. Isolated storm rainfall totals of up to 30 inches are possible in parts of Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco.
