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Nature and EnvironmentMexico

Mexico: Two dead as Hurricane Roslyn weakens after landfall

October 24, 2022

Two people were killed as rains battered the country's Pacific coast, after which the hurricane weakened into a tropical storm.

https://p.dw.com/p/4IaXi
Debris around a damaged house is pictured following the passing of Hurricane Roslyn that hit the Mexico's Pacific coast
Hurricane Roslyn is the latest of the several storms that batter Mexico every yearImage: Hugo Cervantes/REUTERS

Hurricane Roslyn made landfall on a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast on Sunday morning, quickly declining in strength to a tropical storm before moving inland.

The hurricane had winds of 30 mph (45 kph) by Sunday night, significantly lower than the 130 mph seen at its peak. Once inland, it was moving northeast at 22 miles per hour (35 kph) and is expected to lose strength as it travels further inward. According to US National Hurricane Center, it will likely dissipate by Monday night.

Roslyn claimed two lives — one person in the Rosamorada municipality, according to the security secretary in the northwestern state of Nayarit, and an 80-year-old man who died on the island of Mexcaltitan when his house collapsed, as per fire officials.

Tropical storms slam into Mexico every year, on its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November. Earlier this year, Agatha, the first Pacific storm of the season, hit the coast of the southern state of Oaxaca where heavy rain in mountainous towns killed 11 people. 

Why are there so many hurricanes in the US?

Limited damage

While Roslyn missed a direct hit, it brought heavy rains and strong winds with it. Speaking on a video broadcast, San Blas Mayor Jose Antonio Barajas, said some houses had been damaged and lost power.

"The winds from this hurricane were, in truth, tremendous," he said. 

A flooded street is pictured following the passing of Hurricane Roslyn that hit Mexico's Pacific coast with heavy winds and rain in San Blas in Nayarit state, Mexico
Hurricane Roslyn's strong winds caused limited damage to infrastructureImage: Hugo Cervantes/REUTERS

Civil protection authorities in the hardest-hit states of Nayarit and Jalisco  reported material damage, flooding, falling trees and landslides that blocked highways.

The head of the state civil defense office for the Puerto Vallarta area — close to where the hurricane made landfall — Adrian Bobadilla, said authorities were patrolling the area, but had not yet seen any major damage.

"The biggest effect was from the waves, on some of the beachside infrastructure," said Bobadilla. "We did not have any significant damage."

mk/es (AP/AFP)