Hurricane Polo makes landfall in Baja California, flooding coastal communities and toppling trees
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PUERTO SAN CARLOS, Mexico — Hurricane Polo pummeled the Mexican state of Baja California Sur with powerful winds and rain as it made landfall early Tuesday, leaving coastal areas flooded and fallen trees littering the streets in some areas.
The Category 2 hurricane struck land just south of Las Barrancas, Mexico, about 80 miles north of Cabo San Lazaro and about 70 miles south of Mulege with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph while moving northeast at 13 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
Mexican authorities reported Polo left no serious damage. About 700 people remained in shelters Tuesday but were expected to return to their homes, federal authorities said.
Baja California Sur Gov. Víctor Castro said during the president’s morning news briefing that the hurricane’s passage “has brought us rain, but no loss of life.”
By 8 a.m. local time, Polo was moving toward the northeast near 17 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph as a Category 1 hurricane, the center said. Mexico’s government discontinued several hurricane and tropical storm warnings along the coast.
The hurricane center said Polo was crossing the Gulf of California before moving inland and was expected to produce 6-12 inches of rain across parts of Baja California Sur.
Forecasters had predicted Polo would hit the Mexican mainland with life-threatening winds and flash floods expected. It could bring heavy rain and flooding to parts of the U.S. Southwest later in the week.
Meanwhile, the hurricane center reported Tropical Storm Rachel was moving parallel to Mexico’s coast early Tuesday.
Baja California peninsula was preparing for Polo
The government of the northern Mexican state of Sonora on Monday night announced it would suspend all “nonessential” activities, including school, sports and nonessential work in the state capital and more than a dozen municipalities.
The Mexican navy said it had personnel ready across the northern Pacific coast and deployed three vessels that could ship aid to coastal communities isolated by Polo. Local authorities along the Baja California Peninsula said they had shelters ready, while travel will be suspended in the area and ports across the region will be closed.
Pacific storm activity greater than normal this season
Pacific storm activity has been above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec. He said that pattern is consistent with El Niño years, when the Pacific often sees more tropical storms and hurricanes.
The impact was expected to stretch into the U.S. Southwest. After being plagued with drought and later flooding this year, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Texas could receive inches of rain. Arid canyons and rocky expanses with little vegetation are conducive to flash flooding and the tropical weather adds more risk, said Andrew Mangham, senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Heavy rain was already drenching parts of the region Tuesday morning and causing flooding.
“We’re getting caught up here in a very, very short time,” Mangham said. “And that’s not really what we want. We want nice rains, you know, all summer long.”
Floods and mudslides remain a risk in Hawaii
Hurricane Nolo on Tuesday had moved west past the Hawaiian islands and was located about 270 miles south-southeast of French Frigate Shoals with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph moving north, or 360 degrees, at 9 mph.
Nolo drenched communities in south and southeastern parts of Hawaii’s Big Island over the weekend. Hawaii National Guard members rescued 19 people from flooding over the weekend, the U.S. National Guard said in a post on Facebook.
The hurricane was approaching Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a marine conservation area, according to the hurricane center, which said the storm could bring dangerous conditions to the area starting Tuesday.
Rey and Janetsky write for the Associated Press. Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Eduardo Verdugo in Puerto San Carlos, Mexico, Julie Walker in New York, Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Eugene Garcia and Gregory Bull in Hilo, Hawaii, contributed to this report.
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