Hurricane Barbara hits land in Mexico, 2 dead
Agence France-Presse
Posted at 05/30/2013 7:08 PM | Updated as of 05/30/2013 7:08 PM
OAXACA, Mexico - Hurricane Barbara made landfall in Mexico's southern Pacific coast, leaving at least two dead including a 61-year-old US surfer before being downgraded to a tropical depression Thursday.
Twelve Mexican fishermen who went out to sea Monday night, before word of the approaching bad weather came in, are missing, said a local mayor.
The storm was later downgraded to a tropical storm, and then to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers (35 miles) per hour, the US National Hurricane Center said.
It had made landfall in the state of Chiapas, a rural region with archeological sites near the neighboring state of Oaxaca. Hundreds of people were evacuated from affected areas in Chiapas, state civil protection officials said.
The US man "was dragged by the waves and died" after he ignored a ban on entering the beach in the town of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca, state civil protection director Manuel Maza told AFP.
The second victim was a 27-year-old man who was swept away by an overflowing river in the Oaxaca town of Pinotepa Nacional, Mayor Carlos Sarabia said.
In the state of Guerrero, heavy rains flooded some streets of the resort city of Acapulco, with water levels reaching 52 centimeters (20 inches) and sweeping away at least three cars, an AFP correspondent said.
Oaxaca authorities had urged residents to stay home, while the ports of Salina Cruz, Huatulco, Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido were shut down. Some 200 families were taken to shelters, officials said.
Barbara grew into a category one hurricane -- the lowest on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale -- before making landfall west of the Chiapas town of Tonala, the US hurricane center said.
In its 0900 GMT Thursday bulletin, the center said the storm would degenerate to a "remnant low" on Thursday.
It said Barbara was expected to produce total rain accumulations of six to 10 inches, with maximum amounts of 20 inches possible over portions of southeast Mexico.
These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, the center said.
In March 2012, two girls died and 25,000 homes were affected when Hurricane Carlotta tore across Oaxaca.
© 1994-2013 Agence France-Presse
Twelve Mexican fishermen who went out to sea Monday night, before word of the approaching bad weather came in, are missing, said a local mayor.
The storm was later downgraded to a tropical storm, and then to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers (35 miles) per hour, the US National Hurricane Center said.
It had made landfall in the state of Chiapas, a rural region with archeological sites near the neighboring state of Oaxaca. Hundreds of people were evacuated from affected areas in Chiapas, state civil protection officials said.
The US man "was dragged by the waves and died" after he ignored a ban on entering the beach in the town of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca, state civil protection director Manuel Maza told AFP.
The second victim was a 27-year-old man who was swept away by an overflowing river in the Oaxaca town of Pinotepa Nacional, Mayor Carlos Sarabia said.
In the state of Guerrero, heavy rains flooded some streets of the resort city of Acapulco, with water levels reaching 52 centimeters (20 inches) and sweeping away at least three cars, an AFP correspondent said.
Oaxaca authorities had urged residents to stay home, while the ports of Salina Cruz, Huatulco, Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido were shut down. Some 200 families were taken to shelters, officials said.
Barbara grew into a category one hurricane -- the lowest on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale -- before making landfall west of the Chiapas town of Tonala, the US hurricane center said.
In its 0900 GMT Thursday bulletin, the center said the storm would degenerate to a "remnant low" on Thursday.
It said Barbara was expected to produce total rain accumulations of six to 10 inches, with maximum amounts of 20 inches possible over portions of southeast Mexico.
These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, the center said.
In March 2012, two girls died and 25,000 homes were affected when Hurricane Carlotta tore across Oaxaca.
© 1994-2013 Agence France-Presse
