Hurricane Trudy kept its power on Saturday as it closed in on Mexico’s western coast. Forecasters warned that the storm could still gain strength before it begins to weaken on Sunday.
A hurricane warning covers the coastline between Manzanillo in Colima state and Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) placed Trudy about 305 km (190 miles) south-southeast of Manzanillo early Saturday, with peak sustained winds of 150 km/h (90 mph). The storm was moving at roughly 13 km/h (8 mph), and it was expected to reach southwestern and west-central Mexico later that day before passing near the shore overnight into Sunday.
Heavy rain and flood threat across western Mexico
The NHC expects Trudy to bring 10 to 20 cm (four to eight inches) of rain to parts of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco through the weekend, with isolated totals near 38 cm (15 inches). That level of rainfall raises the danger of life-threatening flooding and landslides, particularly on steep ground.
Outer rain bands could drop two to four inches on Guerrero and Nayarit, with isolated totals of around 15 cm (six inches). Localised flash flooding is possible in those states, the NHC said. The agency also warned of storm surge flooding in areas exposed to onshore winds, along with large and destructive waves.
Mexican navy and Colima issue storm cautions
Swells generated by Trudy are already reaching parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast. They are forecast to spread north toward the west-central coast over the weekend, creating life-threatening surf and rip currents, according to the NHC.
The Mexican navy urged mariners and coastal residents to take extreme care because of high waves, heavy rain, rising river levels, flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas. The state of Colima said current risks are low. However, it warned that the storm could still bring significant rainfall with damaging effects, since the ground is already saturated after a series of storms that struck the Pacific coast.
