General view of Principal Bahia as Hurricane Agatha moves towards the southern coast of Mexico, in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca state, Mexico, May 30, 2022.
Jose De Jesus Cortes | Reuters
Hurricane Agatha, the first Pacific winter storm, headed for a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns on Mexico’s southern coast Monday amid warnings of dangerous high tides and flooding. flood due to heavy rain.
After forming on Sunday, Agatha quickly gained strength and it is expected to make landfall as a strong Category 2 hurricane Monday afternoon or evening, the US National Hurricane Center said.
It is moving toward an area near Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel in the southern state of Oaxaca – an area that includes the comfortable tourist areas of Huatulco, Mazunte and Zipolite.
The storm center said Agatha could “bring an extremely dangerous storm surge and life-threatening winds.”
Early Monday, Agatha had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) — just 1 mph below the Category 3 threshold, the storm center said. The center of the storm was about 65 miles (110 km) southwest of Puerto Angel and headed northeast at 6 mph (9 km/h).
Little change in strength is expected before the storm makes landfall, according to the storm’s center. A hurricane warning is in effect between the ports of Salina Cruz and Lagunas de Chacahua.
The civil defense office in Oaxaca released photos of fishermen pulling their boats up to the beaches to protect them from the storm as the bands initially moved over land.
The Huatulco city government has ordered the “absolute closure” of all of the resort’s beaches and its seven famous bays, many of which can only be reached by boat. They also closed local schools and began setting up emergency storm shelters.
On the west side of Zipolite, long known for its clothing-optional beach and bohemian feel, staff at the small Casa Kalmar hotel cleaned up outdoor furniture and installed wooden storm shutters to block the wind. Strong blow out glass windows and doors.
“The biggest worry here is the wind,” said hotel manager Silvia Ranfagni.
With only one guest – and numerous cancellations due to storms – Ranfagni planned to hang out with Agatha at the hotel, three or four blocks from the beach.
“I’m going to lock myself in here with my animals,” she said, referring to her dog and cats.
The government’s Mexican Turtle Center – a former slaughterhouse turned conservation center in Mazunte – has announced its closure to visitors until further notice because of the storm.
The US National Hurricane Center said the storm is expected to bring between 250 and 400 mm of rain over parts of Oaxaca, with an isolated maximum of 20 inches (500 mm), posing a hazard. flash floods and mudslides.
