Hurricane Patricia: Strongest Storm Ever Measured to Hit Mexico
by Jason Cumming and M. Alex Johnson
Hurricane Patricia became the strongest storm ever measured on the planet early Friday, with experts warning it could trigger 40-foot waves along Mexico's coast and "life-threatening" flash flooding.
More than 7 million residents were told to prepare for the "worst-case scenario" as Patricia was expected to race ashore on Mexico's Pacific coast between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET Friday. The tourist magnets of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo were directly in the Category 5 storm's projected path.
Packing 200 mph winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center described Patricia as the "strongest hurricane on record" in the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific Basins.
For posterity-- 200 mph for a #hurricane- never seen that in modern satellite era! #Patricia #climate #ElNino pic.twitter.com/o25GoIiAuF
— Eric Blake (@EricBlake12) October 23, 2015
NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins warned that Patricia would be "the most devastating storm to ever hit Mexico" with "catastrophic damage" likely between the posh resort of Puerto Vallarta and the bustling port city of Manzanillo.
While typhoons Nancy and Violet had stronger estimated winds, Patricia was the strongest storm ever actually observed, Karins added. Patricia already has "put on quite a show" in how rapidly and unexpectedly it has strengthened, he said.
Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013, made landfall with 190 mph winds. Patricia is poised to surpass that record, Karins said.
At 8 a.m. ET, Patricia was about 145 miles southwest of Manzanillo, and about 215 miles south of Cabo Corrientes.
Hurricane warnings stretched from San Blas to Punta San Telmo, an area that includes Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. CONAGUA, the Mexican national water commission, predicted waves about 40 feet at landfall.
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The National Hurricane Center said it was expected to produce deadly rip currents and "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides."
It added: "Some fluctuations in intensity are possible today, but Patricia is expected to remain an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane through landfall."
#SanPatricio & #BarraDeNavidad will experience equivalent EF5 tornado & 20 foot tsunami at same time. #Patricia pic.twitter.com/qMyWOeNTTO
— Bill Karins (@BillKarins) October 23, 2015
Up to 20 inches of rain was predicted for the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero through Saturday, the NHC said.
The Mexican government declared a state of emergency.
The U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara urged Americans in the hurricane warning area to "make preparations immediately to protect life and property."
Historic #Patricia God help these people in its path. pic.twitter.com/hLgDM3Xsz1
— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) October 23, 2015
Rogelio Estreda, a representative for the Grand Fiesta Americana Resort in Puerto Vallarta, told NBC News that the site would be evacuated at 7 a.m. local time (8 a.m. ET).
"We are expecting something bad, but maybe nothing will happen," Estreda said. "It can change at any time."
12H 23/1800Z 18.8N 105.4W 180 KT 205 MPH! What that says is in 12 hours when this is coming ashore it will be at 205 MPH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Stephanie Abrams (@StephanieAbrams) October 23, 2015
Laura Diane Rebholz, who co-owns a modeling agency in Scottsdale, Arizona, told NBC News early Friday that she felt it was "safer to ride the storm out" at the Puerto Vallarta hotel where she's vacationing.
"It's almost as if it's literally 'the calm before the storm'," she said. "It's very much business as usual around the resort with staff seemingly unfazed by the hurricane."
But Australian newlywed Natalie Griffin said Friday that she and her husband were trying to catch an early flight out of Puerto Vallarta after five days of vacationing. At the hotel on Thursday, she said, guests were told that they could be evacuated by bus to Jalisco's capital city, Guadalajara.
Griffin said she decided to take her chances at the airport, but flights out were looking grim.
"We were all excited as we thought we were about to board, and now they have said the airport is closed but they want to get special permission to fly this plane out," she told NBC News. "Everyone wants to know if we are flying or not so we can make plans to leave the area."
Add Perula, Mexico to list of small fishing/farming towns that will be unrecognizable after #Patricia pic.twitter.com/rTVKPrJwsT
— Bill Karins (@BillKarins) October 23, 2015
Patricia would be only the second category 5 hurricane to hit the entire Pacific coast since full recordkeeping began in 1949. An unnamed storm struck in late October 1959 near Manzanillo, killing an estimated 1,800 people — 800 of them from mudslides alone.
Karins added that 10 inches of rain were already predicted for Texas over the next three days, warning that "what's left of Patricia will make flooding in south Texas even worse" on Sunday.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/hurricane-patricia-strongest-storm-ever-measured-hit-mexico-n449731
