Hurricane Simon, Tropical Storm Rachel Leave 2 Dead, 10 Missing in Mexico

At least two people have been killed and 10 are missing in Mexico after severe weather linked to a hurricane and a tropical storm battered parts of the country, authorities said on Monday.

The incidents are linked to Hurricane Simon, which is moving along the Mexican Pacific coast, and Tropical Storm Rachel, which has reached the northwestern state of Baja California.

Simon weakens but remains offshore

Simon has weakened to a Category 2 storm, while its eye remains just offshore.

Its most powerful winds and rain slammed communities between the Sierra Madre and the ocean, with those conditions forecast to persist off the coast of Puerto Vallarta.

The location of the storm means communities along the Mexican Pacific coast remain exposed to severe weather as Simon continues moving through the area.

Rachel, meanwhile, has reached Baja California, linking the storm system to weather affecting another part of Mexico.

Flood threat extends to the United States

More rain and isolated thunderstorms could also hit the southwest United States, prompting forecasters to issue flood watches on Monday.

The watches followed severe flooding in Las Vegas over the weekend, which was caused by the remnants of Rachel.

The latest reports therefore connect the deaths and missing people in Mexico with two separate but related storm systems, while Rachel’s remnants have also contributed to flooding in the United States.

Source: South China Morning Post