September 15, 2014 by Alba Mora Roca and Ignacio Martinez, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico – Hurricane Odile raked the Baja California Peninsula with strong winds and heavy rains early Monday as locals and tourists in the resort area of Los Cabos began to emerge from shelters and assess the damage.
The extent of Odile’s impact was still not clear before daybreak, but the storm severely damaged hotel lobbies and facades, shattered windows and left streets full of debris. The windows at the area’s Westin Hotel had been blown out.
The newspaper Tribuna de los Cabos reported people being injured by flying glass, power lines and traffic signals down throughout the city, and a fire at the Cascadas resort on Medano Beach. No details about the blaze were immediately available.
By early Monday, the storm’s maximum sustained winds were near 115 mph (185 kph) as it moved over the peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane. It was centred about 140 miles (230 kilometres) east-southeast of Cabo San Lazaro.
People hunkered down in shelters and hotel conference rooms overnight as the powerful and sprawling storm made landfall Sunday night as a powerful Category 3 storm near Cabo San Lucas with an estimated intensity of 125 mph (205 kph).
The area is home to gleaming megaresorts, tiny fishing communities and low-lying neighbourhoods of flimsy homes. Forecasters predicted a dangerous storm surge with large waves as well as drenching rains capable of causing landslides and flash floods.
As howling winds whipped palm trees amid pelting rain outside, people bedded down and used magazines to fan themselves in stuffy safe rooms. In one hotel near San Jose del Cabo, residents moved from a makeshift shelter into crowded basement storage areas after the boarded up windows blew out.
Denise Mellor, a traveller from Orange County, California, was frustrated about a lack of information about the storm and said she was learning more from her daughter back home than from hotel workers.
“It’s a little bit (unsettling) that we don’t have a choice but to sit in here and hope for the best,” Mellor said. “So that makes me a little bit scared.”
Mexican authorities evacuated coastal areas and readied shelters for up to 30,000 people.
“We are going to be hit, do not risk your life,” warned Marcos Covarrubias, governor of Baja California Sur.
After reaching Category 4 strength on Sunday, Odile weakened some to Category 3 but was still a major storm. The U.S. hurricane centre warned of possible coastal flooding and rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, with isolated amounts up to 15 inches.
On Sunday, police with megaphones walked through vulnerable areas in Cabo San Lucas urging people to evacuate.
“I’m leaving. It’s very dangerous here,” said Felipa Flores, clutching a plastic bag with a few belongings as she took her two small children from her neighbourhood of El Caribe to a storm shelter. “Later on we’re going to be cut off and my house of wood and laminated cardboard won’t stand up to much.”
At least 22 airline flights were cancelled. Some tourists camped out at the Los Cabos international airport hoping to get out before the storm, but the facility shut down all air operations late in the afternoon.
Luis Felipe Puente, national co-ordinator for Mexico’s civil protection agency, said 164 shelters had been prepared for as many as 30,000 people in Baja California Sur.
A hurricane warning was in effect from Punta Abreojos to Loreto. Mexican authorities declared a maximum alert for areas in or near Odile’s path, and ports in Baja California were ordered closed.
Meanwhile in the central Atlantic, Hurricane Edouard strengthened to a Category 2 storm early Monday with maximum sustained winds near 105 mph (165 kph), although it was forecast to remain far out at sea and pose no threat to land.
The U.S. hurricane centre said Edouard’s centre was 720 miles (1,160 kilometres) east-southeast of Bermuda and was moving northwest at 15 mph (24 kph).
– Associated Press writer Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.
Image: This NOAA GOES-West image taken Sept. 12 at 8 a.m. EDT shows Tropical Depression 16E (left) is about 10 times smaller in comparison to Tropical Storm Odile (right). (Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project)
Hurricane #Odile making its final approach into Cabo San Lucas. Dangerous storm, could bring more floods to SW US too pic.twitter.com/RG8OGRLjQz
— Andrew Freedman (@afreedma) September 15, 2014
Current satellite image (940am PDT/MST) of #Odile & stats as of 8am PDT/MST. #azwx #nvwx pic.twitter.com/jE9Sb89n2z
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) September 15, 2014
Tourists & residents in #CaboSanLucas woke up to this…thx to #Hurricane #Odile. Pic via Instagram user iullumin8D pic.twitter.com/wX4zEMWGcz
— Jennifer Watson (@JWatson_Wx) September 15, 2014
RT @NOAASatellites: #Odile moving across the southern Baja California peninsula. GOES visible imagery, 10:30 am EDT. pic.twitter.com/gO4DGZobox
— Webcams de México (@webcamsdemexico) September 15, 2014
Aftermath of Hurricane #Odile at Playa Grande Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: pic.twitter.com/1Kh4CrkEoY
— ABC News Weather (@abcnewswx) September 15, 2014
Restaurant roof collapsed at playa grande #odile #cabo. The staff is doing a great job. Has food and water for all. pic.twitter.com/HWcRMD51t4
— Sarah S. McKinney (@SSinArkansas) September 15, 2014
Aeropuerto de Los Cabos tras el paso de Huracán #Odile pic.twitter.com/KUcFYiamIH
— Jimmy VG (@jimmyverduzco) September 15, 2014
#odile turned eastward overnight and hit us here in #Cabo DIRECTLY! Eye past right over Lands End! Largest and m… pic.twitter.com/IFqr0bHHdN
— Los Cabos Mexico (@CabosNews) September 15, 2014
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