Hurricane Blanca Nears Mexico's Baja California Peninsula
Daily Mail UK, 7 June 2015
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) —
A powerful Hurricane Blanca roared toward Mexico's Baja California Peninsula on Sunday, as authorities put thousands of troops on alert and businesses boarded over windows ahead of its arrival.
The unpredictable storm strengthened rapidly to a Category 4 storm on Saturday before weakening to Category 3, and forecasters said it should weaken to a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday as it nears Mexico's coast.
It is expected to make landfall on Baja California's southwestern coastline Monday as a tropical storm. But the director of Mexico's National Water Commission, Roberto Ramirez, said he was concerned about Blanca's "erratic" behavior and warned residents along the coast to be prepared for intense rains.
A worker hauls a board to use on a storefront window as protection against Hurricane Blanca in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Saturday June 6, 2015.
The unpredictable Blanca, which strengthened suddenly from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm on Saturday before weakening slightly, is expected to make landfall as a tropical storm on Monday. But authorities said its outer bands could start hitting the southern Baja California Peninsula as a hurricane on Sunday. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
In Baja California, 2,000 army troops and 1,321 marines have been put on alert, as well as emergency responders and power line technicians, said Civil Protection director Luis Felipe Puente.
He said there is currently a 70 percent hotel occupancy rate in Los Cabos and warned tourists to be attentive to any advisories issued by authorities
Some businesses and banks were seen hammering boards over their windows in preparation for Blanca's arrival. People began forming lineups at gas stations to stock up on fuel.
Blanca's maximum sustained winds on Saturday night were near 120 mph (195 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
The hurricane is centered about 255 miles (415 kilometers) south of Cabo San Lucas and is moving northwest near 10 mph (17 kph).
A hurricane watch is in effect for an area from Cabo San Lucas to Santa Fe. A tropical storm warning is in effect from Loreto to Puerto San Andresito, including Cabo San Lucas.
Puente said he saw no reason to suspend local elections scheduled to be held on Sunday.
A man lays down tape to reinforce storefront windows against Hurricane Blanca in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Saturday June 6, 2015.
The unpredictable Blanca, which strengthened suddenly from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm on Saturday before weakening slightly, is expected to make landfall as a tropical storm on Monday.
Drivers wait in line to fill up their gas tanks, in preparation for Hurricane Blanca in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Saturday June 6, 2015.
Workers board over store front windows in preparation for Hurricane Blanca, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Saturday June 6, 2015.
Men tow a boat to higher ground, as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Blanca in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Saturday June 6, 2015.
This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, June 06, 2015 at 10:00 AM EDT shows an upper level low over the Great Basin bringing rain showers and thunderstorms to Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.
Another area of low pressure over the northern Plains moves eastward with it\'s associated warm front producing rain and thunderstorms to the Upper Mississippi Valley. In contrast, mostly sunny skies dominate the west coast from Washington through California.
Further south, Hurricane Blanca is south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour. Blanca will continue to move slowly to the northwest and will impact the Baja Peninsula in the coming days. (Weather Underground via AP)