Hurricane Carlotta nears Mexico coast with 80 mph winds Posted on June 15, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Hurricane Carlotta nears Mexico coast with 80 mph winds

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Storm surge, mountain floods and mudslides expected

Hurricane Carlotta, far left, is growing and strengthening rapidly near the southern coast of Mexico.

Hurricane Carlotta could move along the coast of southern Mexico the next few days.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Hurricane  warnings are in effect for several hundred miles along the Pacific coast of Mexico including Acapulco, asHurricane Carlottaapproaches the area with winds that could reach 100 mph early in the weekend.

The biggest concerns are for a dangerous storm surge that will produce significant coastal flooding, along with powerful and destructive waves. Rainfall totals are forecast to reach 3 to 5 inches in Chiapas and northern Oaxaca, with higher amounts up 10 15 inches in the mountains of southern Oaxaca, where mudslides and flash flooding are possible.

The latest forecast track nudges Carlotta a bit farther north before the hurricane turns west again, which means the storm could weaken and even fall apart if it runs into the high mountains of southern Mexico, but the exact track has been hard to pinpoint. Carlotta could rake a large part of Mexico’s southern coast with high winds and heavy rains.

Officially, wind speeds are forecast to reach 90 mph by Friday evening and 100 mph by Saturday morning as the center nears the coast.