SAN JOSE DEL CABO, Mexico -A powerful Hurricane Odile
bore down on the resort area of Los Cabos on Sunday, prompting Mexican
authorities to evacuate vulnerable coastal areas and prepare shelters
for up to 30,000 people.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in
Miami said Odile's core was on a track to pass close to or directly over
the south end of Baja California late Sunday and into Monday and move
by the southern portion of the peninsula on Tuesday.
Rain began
falling at midafternoon, hours before the storm's expected arrival.
Gusty winds whipped palm trees, waves pounded the rocky shore and
fluttering black flags signaled that beaches were closed due to high
surf.
Odile's maximum sustained winds were 125 mph late Sunday
afternoon, down a bit from earlier in the day. Its center was about 90
miles south-southeast of the southern tip of Baja California and was
moving to the north-northwest at 16 mph.
David Korenfeld, director of Mexico's National Water Commission, described Odile as "highly dangerous."
After
reaching Category 4 strength Sunday, Odile was downgraded to Category
3. But it was still a major storm that threatened to bring high winds,
deadly surf and heavy rains to Baja and parts of the mainland, and
forecasters said it could strengthen again as it approached land.
No comments:
Post a Comment