ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) ―Tropical Storm Manuel drenched Mexico’s southwestern Pacific shoulder Sunday and Hurricane Ingrid closed in on the country’s Gulf coast, as heavy rains and landslides caused at least 21 deaths and led authorities to evacuate thousands.
Stormy conditions prompted some communities in affected states to cancel Independence Day celebrations planned for Sunday and Monday.
Manuel began to weaken as soon as it made landfall near the port of Manzanillo in the afternoon and it was downgraded to a tropical depression late Sunday, but the U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that its heavy rains still could cause flash floods and mudslides. The storm was expected to dissipate Monday.
Early Friday evening, officials in four states reported a total of 24 people killed by the storms, but federal Civil Protection Coordinator Luis Felipe Puente later said 21 deaths had been confirmed.
In the southern coastal state of Guerrero, state authorities listed 18 deaths from landslides, drowning, a truck crash and a fallen wall, while authorities reported three deaths in Puebla, two in Oaxaca and one in Hidalgo. Puente said the federal government had 14 confirmed deaths in Guerrero, three in Hidalgo, three in Puebla and one in Oaxaca.
The rains caused some rivers to overflow in Guerrero, damaging hundreds of homes and disrupting communications for several hours.
Manuel had maximum sustained winds of about 55 kph late Sunday and was moving to the northwest at 13 kph late Sunday. It was about 110 kilometers northwest of Manzanillo.
Manuel was expected to dump 10 to 15 inches of rain over parts of Guerrero and Michoacan state, with maximums of 25 inches possible in some isolated areas. Rains of 5 to 10 inches were possible in the states of Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit. Authorities said the rains would present a dangerous threat in mountains, where flash floods and mudslides were possible.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
