Hurricane Barbara lashes Mexico's southern coast

30 May 2013 Last updated at 00:18 ET

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Hurricane Barbara 

lashes Mexico's 

southern coast

The hurricane formed over the Pacific Ocean

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Hurricane Barbara has been lashing parts of Mexico's Pacific coast after making landfall in the town of Santo Domingo Zanatapec, in Oaxaca state.

Two people have been killed in the state, the authorities say - an American surfer and a young Mexican swept away by flood waters.

Fourteen fishermen were also reported missing at sea.

Barbara quickly lost strength over land but drenched coastal areas with rain, leading to flooding in some areas.

The hurricane came ashore some 130 km (80 miles) east of Salina Cruz, home to Mexico's biggest oil refinery.

A warning was issued for the stretch of coast between Puerto Angel and Barra de Tonala.

Thousands of people in Chiapas and Oaxaca states have been evacuated. Roads have been closed and sea traffic suspended in the area.

The storm that preceded the hurricane caused floods in many coastal areas, including the resort city of Acapulco, further north.

The hurricane is expected to dissipate in the next 24 hours.

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Hurricane Barbara hits southern Mexico, killing at least two By Jose Cortes SAN PEDRO TAPANATEPEC, Mexico | Thu May 30, 2013 4:07am IST

Hurricane Barbara hits southern Mexico, killing at least two

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By Jose Cortes

SAN PEDRO TAPANATEPEC, Mexico | Thu May 30, 2013 4:07am IST

(Reuters) - Hurricane Barbara hit Mexico's southern Pacific coast on Wednesday, flooding roads, toppling trees and killing two men as it pounded the area with heavy rain near the country's biggest oil refinery.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the hurricane was 80 miles east of the port of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca state. Winds were blowing at a maximum 75 miles per hour.

The hurricane was churning north-northeast at around 9 mph and should start to weaken quickly Wednesday night.

"We are seeing very, very strong winds and intense rainfall," said Manuel Maza, director of emergency services in Oaxaca. He said power outages also were reported.

Mexican state oil monopoly Pemex said earlier on Wednesday operations were normal at its biggest refinery, which as the capacity to process 330,000 barrels per day of crude and is on the coast in Salina Cruz.

Local emergency services said a 61-year-old U.S. man surfing off the beach at Salina Cruz had drowned during the storm. A 26-year-old Mexican man was killed as he tried to cross a river.

Ports for small vessels in the area have been closed and emergency services in Oaxaca said they were starting to evacuate residents from some areas as a precaution, including the immediate vicinity of the refinery.

The NHC issued a hurricane warning from Oaxaca's Puerto Angel to Barra de Tonala, and a tropical storm warning from Barra de Tonala to Boca de Pijijiapan in Chiapas state.

Between 6 and 10 inches of rain is expected over eastern Oaxaca through western Chiapas, along with a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels, the NHC said.

(Additional reporting by David Alire Garcia and Liz Diaz; Editing by Simon Gardner, Marguerita Choy and Bill Trott)

Hurricane Barbara hits Mexico's southern Pacific coast - video The Guardian Hurricane Barbara hits Mexico's southern Pacific coast on Wednesday, 130km (80 miles) east of the port of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca state. Winds of up to 75mph flooded roads, toppled trees and left two men dead, one from the US and the other from Mexico ... See all stories on this topic »

Hurricane Barbara hits Mexico's southern Pacific coast - video
The Guardian
Hurricane Barbara hits Mexico's southern Pacific coast on Wednesday, 130km (80 miles) east of the port of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca state. Winds of up to 75mph flooded roads, toppled trees and left two men dead, one from the US and the other from Mexico ...
See all stories on this topic »

Two killed and 14 missing as Hurricane Barbara batters Mexico with 60mph winds and intense rainfall Man, 61, from Colorado, died while surfing on at Playa Azul Mexican man, 26, died while trying to cross a river 14 fisherman have disappeared during storm Hurricane Barbara hit Mexico's southern Pacific coast By ANNA EDWARDS PUBLISHED: 03:24 EST, 30 May 2013 | UPDATED: 10:05 EST, 30 May 2013

Two killed and 14 missing as Hurricane Barbara batters Mexico with 60mph winds and intense rainfall

• Man, 61, from Colorado, died while surfing on at Playa Azul
• Mexican man, 26, died while trying to cross a river
• 14 fisherman have disappeared during storm
• Hurricane Barbara hit Mexico's southern Pacific coast

By ANNA EDWARDS

PUBLISHED: 03:24 EST, 30 May 2013 | UPDATED: 10:05 EST, 30 May 2013

 
 
 

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Two men have been killed after Hurricane Barbara hit Mexico's southern Pacific coast yesterday, flooding roads and toppling trees before weakening to a tropical storm as it spread inland.

There were reports of 60mph winds and intense rainfall battering the coast, which prompted authorities to erect shelters and suspend schools as it tried to deal with the storm.

Local emergency services said a 61-year-old U.S male surfer drowned during the storm. A 26-year-old Mexican man was killed as he tried to cross a river.

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Tropical storm 'Barbara' became a category 1 hurricane as it hit the coasts in Oaxaca and Chiapas, in southern Mexico

Hurricane Barbara drenched the sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's southern Pacific coast

The director of civil defense for Oaxaca state, Manuel Maza Sanchez, said the surfer, from Colorado,  died while surfing at Playa Azul, a beach near the resort town of Puerto Escondido, when Barbara hit as a Category 1 hurricane about 120 miles (200 kilometers) to the east. 

He said the man was dragged out by waves kicked up by Barbara and then battered against the shore.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City was not immediately able to confirm the man's name, nationality or hometown.

Maza Sanchez also said the Mexican drowned in the nearby city of Pinotepa Nacional while trying to cross a rain-swollen creek. 

Very strong winds and intense rainfall had hit the region and power outages were reported

A police officer walks outside a damaged store covered in broken glass caused by high winds after Hurricane Barbara passed through Arriaga

According to media reports, 14 fishermen disappeared in the state of Oaxaca during the storm, but local emergency services said they could not confirm that information.

The hurricane was churning north-northeast at about 9mph and is expected to weaken rapidly overnight, the NHC said.

Mr Maza said that very strong winds and intense rainfall had hit the region and that power outages were reported.

Mexican state oil monopoly Pemex said that operations were normal at its biggest refinery, located in the port of Salina Cruz. The plant has the capacity to process 330,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Ports for small vessels in the area have been closed and emergency services in Oaxaca said they evacuated residents from some areas as a precaution, including the immediate vicinity of the refinery.

Two die as Hurricane Barbara bears down on Mexico

This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite image shows the southern Pacific coastal area of Mexico, where the hurricane killed two men

Tropical Storm Barbara became a hurricane in the Pacific as it neared Mexico's southern coast and forged a course towards the country's biggest oil refinery

It drenched the sparsely populated stretch of Mexico with rain after making the second-earliest landfall since reliable record-keeping began in 1966.

On May 23, the National Hurricane Center had said odds favoured a below-normal hurricane season in the eastern Pacific for 2013. 

It said 11 to 16 named storms were likely, below the 15-storm annual average for 1981-2010.

But Barbara appeared to start the Pacific season unusually early, and such storms often form closer to the resort of Acapulco, to the west.

Officials in Oaxaca had rushed to prepare emergency shelters and suspended school for children in coastal communities as rain began lashing the coast when the storm formed close to shore.

The area first hit by the storm is a largely undeveloped stretch of coastal lagoons, punctuated by small fishing villages.

The major Gulf oil port of Coatzacoalcos is located on the other side of the narrow waist of Mexico known as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 

But the hurricane center predicted Barbara would dissipate into a rain system well before reaching Coatzacoalcos.

Maza Sanchez said classes would be suspended at schools along the coast for the rest of the week.

Storm shelters were set up in 20 towns and hamlets, and such shelters are often installed at schools.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333151/Hurricane-Barbara-Two-killed-14-missing-60mph-winds-intense-rainfall.html#ixzz2Upoqg421
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Hurricane Barbara slams Mexico, at least two dead

30 MAY 2013, 6:07 PM   -   SOURCE: AFP

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Hurricane Barbara has made landfall in Mexico's southern Pacific coast, leaving at least two dead, including a 61-year-old US surfer who drowned in rough seas, authorities said.

Hurricane Barbara has made landfall in Mexico's southern Pacific coast, leaving at least two dead, including a 61-year-old US surfer who drowned in rough seas, authorities said.

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 with maximum sustained winds of 75km/h as of late Wednesday, the US National Hurricane Center said.

It had made landfall in the state of Chiapas, a rural region with archaeological sites near the neighbouring state of Oaxaca. Hundreds of people were being 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, said state civil protection director Manuel Maza.

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 52cm and sweeping away at least three cars. 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 centre said. Late Wednesday the storm was moving north at 15km/h, the US hurricane centre said. Tropical force winds extend outward up to 75km from the storm's centre.

Barbara was forecast to dump up to 25cm of rain over eastern Oaxaca and western Chiapas, with as much as 50cm possibly falling in isolated areas of southeastern Oaxaca, the centre said.

"These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," it warned. In March 2012, two girls died and 25,000 homes were affected when Hurricane Carlotta tore across Oaxaca.

Hurricane Barbara Landfall In Mexico: Will Storm Hit Texas? [VIDEO & REPORT] By Staff Reporter on May 29, 2013 10:31 PM EDT

Hurricane Barbara Landfall In Mexico: Will Storm Hit Texas? [VIDEO & REPORT]

By Staff Reporter on May 29, 2013 10:31 PM EDT

Hurricane Barbara makes landfall in Mexico. Two have been confirmed dead since the storm struck. (Photo: National Hurricane Center)

Hurricane Barbara made landfall on the southern Pacific coast on Wednesday as the hurricane struck the state of Oaxaca. According to records, Barbara marks the second earliest landfall since 1966.

According to Oaxaca director of civil defense Manuel Maza Sanchez, Hurricane Barbara has already claimed the lives of two victims.

The first victim was a 61-year-old man from Colorado. The American was killed while surfing at Playa Azul beach of the Puerto Escondido resort town. Hurricane Barbara made landfall approximately 120 miles east of the beach. Sanchez announced the man was dragged out by Hurricane Barbara waves and was later found battered against the shore.

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The second victim was a 26-year-old Mexican man that drowned while attempting to cross a rain-swollen creek. The incident took place in the city of Pinotepa Nacional.

Hurricane Barbara made landfall on a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's southern Pacific coast Wednesday, the second-earliest landfall since reliable record-keeping began in 1966. At least two people were killed, including a man identified by local officials as a U.S. surfer.

At the heart of the landfall zone of Hurricane Barbara, 14 fishermen of Tapanatepec, Oaxaca, were out at sea Wednesday morning and never returned. 

Oaxaca has responded to the Hurricane Barbara landfall as officials rushed to prepare emergency shelters. Schools were suspended in coastal communities.

Another critical area of the landfall region is the Gulf oil port at Coatzacoalcos. Coatzacoalcos is at the other side of Mexico's narrow waist. According to the hurricane center, Hurricane Barbara is expected to be significantly weakened by the time it reaches the oil port.

While there is a possibility of Hurricane Barbara regaining strength as itreaches the Gulf of Mexico, local news station kristv.com reported that Hurricane Barbara will not pose a threat to the Texas southern coastline. However, areas will experience winds of up to 40 mph.

The National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided the following public advisory of Hurricane Barbara:

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 500 PM PDT...0000 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BARBARA WAS
LOCATED INLAND OVER SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO NEAR LATITUDE 16.7 NORTH...
LONGITUDE 93.9 WEST.  BARBARA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST
NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/H...AND A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED
TONIGHT.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
OVER SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY...AND INTO THE
EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO AS A REMNANT LOW LATER ON
THURSDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/H...
WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  RAPID WEAKENING WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT AND EARLY
THURSDAY...AND BARBARA IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE WITHIN THE NEXT DAY
OR SO.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM
FROM THE CENTER.  AN AUTOMATED MEXICAN NAVY OBSERVING STATION AT
PAREDON IN CHIAPAS MEASURED A PEAK GUST TO 75 MPH...120 KM/H
SEVERAL HOURS AGO.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 993 MB...29.32 INCHES.


HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
RAINFALL...BARBARA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS
OF 6 TO 10 INCHES OVER EASTERN OAXACA AND WESTERN CHIAPAS MEXICO...
WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES POSSIBLE IN SOUTHEASTERN
OAXACA.  THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND
MUD SLIDES.

WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING THE COAST WITHIN THE
WARNING AREA.  THESE CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT
FEW HOURS.

STORM SURGE...WATER LEVELS ALONG THE COAST OF THE GULF OF
TEHUANTEPEC SHOULD BE SUBSIDING DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

Home › World ›

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

Hurricane Barbara slams into Mexico's Pacific Coast; two dead

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A man tries to rescue his stranded vehicle in the Pacific port of Acapulco, in Guerrero, Mexico(Francisca Meza / EPA / May 29, 2013)

By Richard Fausset

May 29, 2013, 8:26 p.m.

MEXICO CITY -- Hurricane Barbara slammed into the Pacific Coast of Mexico Wednesday, leaving two people dead and 14 fishermen missing in the state of Oaxaca, before reportedly being downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved north toward the Gulf of Mexico.

The Oaxacan state government reported that a 25-year-old man in the municipality of Pinotepa Nacional drowned, apparently while trying to cross a riverbed that was quickly filling with water from the pounding rainstorm. (Link in Spanish)

On the Oaxacan coast, in an area called Playa Azul, a U.S. surfer named Douglas Ketchum, 61, died in heavy surf, the state government reported.

Notimex, the official Mexican news agency, reported that the missing fishermen were from the municipality of Tapanatepec. (Link in Spanish)

The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that the center of the storm was on land in southern Mexico at 5 p.m. Wednesday. It was expected to head north, seriously weakened by the time it arrives in the Gulf of Mexico late Thursday.

On Wednesday evening, however, maximum sustained winds were still as high as 60 miles per hour, and officials warned residents of the possibility of flash flooding and mudslides.

Officials had shut down ports along the Pacific coast of Oaxaca and neighboring Chiapas before the storm hit. Serious flooding was also reported in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco, in Guerrero state.

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richard.fausset@latimes.com

Hurricane leaves 5000 victims in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico

Hurricane leaves 5000 victims in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico

Mexico, May 30 (Prensa Latina) Hurricane Barbara left a toll of 5,000 victims in the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, authorities from both states reported today. They also confirmed the deaths of two people, who have already been identified, and 12 missing fishermen. The fatalities are Douglas Ketchum, a tourist from United States who was surfing in Salina Cruz municipality when the hurricane hit the territory, and Emanuel Salinas, who was swept away by a surging river in the town of Pinotepa Nacional. Barbara hit the Pacific ocean coast of Mexico yesterday as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, but as it moved inland, it became a tropical storm. It caused torrential rains in the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero and southern Veracruz, as well as heavy rains in the Yucatan Peninsula. This is the second hurricane of the season in the Pacific after Alvin, which was recorded on May 15th and 17th. Fourteen storms have been forecast by the Mexican Meteorological Service for this season, six of which could be tropical storms, 4 moderate hurricanes and 4 more intense hurricanes. sus/sa/eav/rc/jgs

Modificado el ( jueves, 30 de mayo de 2013 )