Agatha, the first named storm of the year in the eastern Pacific region, was moving over southern Mexico early Tuesday as a tropical storm, hours after making landfall. like a Category 2 hurricane.
Agatha came ashore on Monday afternoon, just west of Puerto Angel, a fishing town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, with heavy rain and winds of nearly 105 mph — strong enough to uproot trees, causing power losses. Large and fast roof-building.
As of 10 p.m. local time, the storm was moving northeast through Oaxaca at nearly 8 mph, the US National Hurricane Center say in an advice. The center said parts of the state could see up to 16 inches of rain, with 20 inches isolated, and parts of southern Mexico at risk of life-threatening mudslides and flash floods. on Tuesday.
But Agatha’s maximum sustained winds have dropped to about 70 mph, and the storm is expected to clear over Mexico Tuesday afternoon, the Hurricane Center said.
Agatha’s arrival marks the first time a Category 2 hurricane has made landfall in the eastern Pacific Ocean in May, said Dan Pydynowski, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.
Before Agatha, only two Category 1 hurricanes made landfall in the area: Hurricane Barbara on May 29, 2013, and coincidentally, Hurricane Agatha on May 24, 1971, Mr.
Home to surf hotspots, the coast of Oaxaca has long attracted tourists from around the world, who are drawn to the golden sandy beaches and laid-back vibe of the Thai Binh region. Positive. Beach town Zipolitenear where Agatha landed, has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, especially for the LGBTQ community.
This industry has been and is an important driver of the state’s economy. In 2019, before the tourism pandemic wreaked havoc in the region, more than 200,000 foreign visitors traveled to the State of Oaxaca, the majority visiting the colonial capital of Oaxaca. But more than 80,000 foreigners have also chosen the beaches of Huatulco and Puerto Escondido.
The industry created more than 159,000 jobs that year and brought in more than $29 million in income in those three destinations, according to government figures, an important economic driver for one of the states. poorest in Mexico.
Given the importance of tourism to Oaxaca, the arrival of a potentially devastating hurricane could be catastrophic for the more than half a million people who call the coastal region home.
Alejandro Murat Hinojosa, governor of Oaxaca, said the defense, army, Mexican National Guard and Navy were deployed to respond to the storm.
Classes were canceled along the coast on Monday and Tuesday, he said.
Images shared on social media on Monday morning showed residents of the Oaxacan coast preparing for the worst, including up buildings. Video shows winds starting to pick up, tossing palm trees back and forth as the waves hit with increasing ferocity.
Before the storm, the head of the Huatulco Hotels and Lodging Association, Pia Overholzer, said the city had about 60% occupancy with about 3,500 tourists.
Julián Herrera Velarde, a representative of the Oaxaca tourism department in Puerto Escondido, said the town has about 2,700 visitors, of which only 40 have been moved to a temporary shelter.
While not as prone to hurricanes as the Caribbean, Mexico’s Pacific Coast is no stranger to deadly storms. In 1997, Hurricane Pauline crash into the beach of Oaxaca and neighboring Guerrero, leaving more than 200 dead and about 300,000 homeless.
More recently, in 2017, Tropical Storm Beatriz devastated the state, causing widespread flooding and landslides. At least two people were killed and hundreds of families saw their homes damaged.
Agatha formed off the coast of Mexico and named on saturdaynot long after the official start of the eastern Pacific hurricane season, which ran from May 15 to November 30.
The Atlantic hurricane season – the term used to refer to hurricanes that form in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean – runs from June 1 to November 30. These areas are home to hurricanes and hurricanes. The most severe storm to hit the United States, Mr. Feltgen said.
This is the first year since 2014 that a hurricane has not formed in the Atlantic before the official start of the season. However, this season usually doesn’t peak until mid-August to late October, and forecasters guess activity above the Atlantic average this year, with six to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last week.
If predictions come true, this year will be the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season.
Causes for the predicted intensity of the storms cited by NOAA include a climate pattern known as La Niña, which affects wind speed and direction, and a particularly intense West African monsoon season, creating produce waves that can lead to powerful and long-lasting storms.
Alex Traub, Vimal Patel, Derrick Bryson TaylorOmar Gasga, Oscar Lopez and Mike Ives contribution report.
