On Sunday, Hurricane Roslyn was projected to bring a dangerous storm surge to sections of Mexico after ripping through the Pacific as a Category 4 hurricane close off the coast of Puerto Vallarta.
The National Hurricane Center of the United States said early Sunday morning that Roslyn had become “very dangerous” with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour.
At 12 a.m. Sunday, the hurricane center predicted that the storm will “deliver damaging gusts, a life-threatening storm surge, and torrential rains to regions of west-central Mexico.”
The center of Roslyn was located around 45 miles west of Cabo Corrientes, a peninsula extending into the Pacific south of Puerto Vallarta, and was heading north at 12 mph.
During the night, Roslyn is expected to pass near to Cabo Corrientes and the Puerto Vallarta region, but forecasters warn that these regions will continue to experience high gusts, heavy rainfall, and severe surf.
From Las Islas Marias and Playa Perula to Escuinapa, a hurricane watch was in force. The center issued a hurricane watch for the region from north of Escuinapa to north of Mazatlan.
The hurricane was predicted to make landfall in the state of Nayarit on Sunday morning. The hurricane Orlene made landfall on October 3 a bit further north in about the same region, around 45 miles southeast of the resort of Mazatlan.
The U.S. hurricane center reported that hurricane-force winds stretched 30 miles from Roslyn’s center, while tropical storm-force winds extended 80 miles.
A hurricane warning was issued for the coastline between Playa Perula south of Cabo Corrientes and El Roblito, as well as for the Islas Marias.
Saturday, vacationers appeared oblivious to the approaching storm as they dined at oceanfront restaurants in Puerto Vallarta and smaller resorts further north on the Nayarit coast, where the storm was likely going.
“We’re in good shape. Everything is tranquil and usual “said Jaime Cantón, a receptionist at the Casa Maria hotel in Puerto Vallarta. He stated that if winds increased, the hotel would secure all outdoor furniture “so nothing would fly away.”
While clouds began to form in the sky, the waves stayed regular and few individuals appeared to be rushing to take precautions. There were still swimmers in the water at Puerto Vallarta.
Patricia Morales, a receptionist at the Punta Guayabitas hotel in the laid-back beach town of the same name, said, “The area is crawling with tourists.”
When asked about safeguards, Morales responded, “They (authorities) haven’t warned us.”
The government of the state of Nayarit predicted that the hurricane would make landfall near the fishing village of San Blas, approximately 120 kilometers north of Puerto Vallarta.
Pedro Nez, the head of the state’s civil defense office, stated, “Right now, we are conducting patrols throughout the cities to warn residents so that they can secure their belongings and remain safe in safer areas.”
In the neighboring state of Jalisco, Governor Enrique Alfaro reported that 270 people had been evacuated from a town along the expected path of the hurricane, and that five emergency shelters had been established in Puerto Vallarta.
According to the National Water Commission, Roslyn’s rainfall could cause mudslides and flooding. In addition to 4 to 6 inches of rain, the U.S. hurricane center warned of dangerous storm surge along the coast.