Hurricane Raymond gained major strength as it neared Mexico on Monday. Now a Category 3, Raymond is lashing the coast with heavy and potentially dangerous rain.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, the newly formed storm was hanging off the south of Mexico but it is headed northward and is expected to get closer to the coast, the Associated Press reports.
Hurricane Raymond come a month after Mexico was hit with widespread damage due to floods and mudslides from Tropical Storm Manuel. About 120 people were killed from flooding and landslides due to Manuel in September.
Mexico has already deployed emergency crews and is considering evacuating low-lying areas. Tropical Storm Manual already displaced about 10,000 from their homes as the storm left drenched hillsides which could turn into dangerous landslides.
Mexico's National Water Commission head David Korenfield is hoping that a cold front from the north clashes with Raymond to keep it from hitting the coast.
"The cold front coming down is what makes it (Raymond) turn to the left, but that is a model," Korenfeld told AP. "If that cold front comes down more slowly, this tropical storm ... can get closer to the coast."
Forecasters are predicting that the storm will move slowly before it hits the coast on late Monday or Tuesday, but the storm may weaken. However even if it doesn't hit the coast, experts says that it may drop heavy rain which can cause life-threatening flash foods and mudslides along the south-central Mexican coast.
"There will be rain for the next 72 hours along the Pacific coast - very heavy rain, torrential rain," Korenfeld said.
The center of the storm was located 125 miles south-southwest of the coast and has maximum sustained winds of 120 mph on Monday morning.
There is a hurricane warning in effect from Tecpan de Galeana, up the coast from Acapulco, north to the port of Lazaro Cardenas and a tropical storm warning is in effect from Acapulco to Tecpan.
The government has already closed seaports, set up 700 shelters and urged residents to take precautions. They're trying to decide whether or not to call for an evacuation. Classes were cancelled in many coastal communities west of Acapulco as schools are usually used as emergency shelters.
Heavy rain fall could cause severe damage. There are about 50 dams that are over capacity. Officials have been trying to release water to make room for the rain.
Manuel has left some villages in the mountains without electricity and phone service.
Light rain started falling in the beach area of Barra de Potosi, outside of Zihuatanejo, yet officials say tourism hasn't been affected.
"We've got bookings coming in, people are coming in," Les Johnson, an employee at the Our House bed and breakfast told AP. "There's people on the beach, it's quite nice ... there's no problem at the moment."
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