Hurricane Orlene, a Category 2 storm, approached western Mexico early Monday and threatened the region with significant wind, storm surge and rainfall, forecasters said. Storm preparations were underway in at least three Mexican states.
The storm was about 45 miles south-southeast of Mazatlán and was moving north, the National Hurricane Center said on Monday in an 8 a.m. Eastern advisory. Orlene had maximum sustained winds of about 100 miles per hour, with higher wind gusts.
Category 2 storms are hurricanes with wind speeds of 96 to 110 m.p.h. Orlene’s strength peaked as a Category 4 storm on Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 130 m.p.h.
Forecasters say Orlene will make landfall on the coast of mainland Mexico on Monday morning.
Orlene was expected to remain a hurricane upon reaching southwestern Mexico but would weaken rapidly after moving onshore, the Hurricane Center said. The system is expected to dissipate on Tuesday.
A hurricane warning was posted for Las Islas Marías, an archipelago of four islands, and the coast of mainland Mexico, from San Blas to Mazatlán, meaning hurricane conditions were expected in those areas, the center said.
“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the center said.
Orlene is expected to bring flash flooding and possible landslides across southwest Mexico through Tuesday, the center said. Las Islas Marías could get up to 14 inches of rain. Nayarit and portions of Sinaloa, states along the country’s west coast, could see up to 10 inches.
A dangerous storm surge and large swells could cause perilous surf and rip current conditions, forecasters said.
In Sinaloa, more than three dozen shelters were opened ahead of the storm. Classes were canceled on Monday in the state of Jalisco, where up to five inches of rain was expected, officials said.
Mexico’s National Water Commission said in a news release on Sunday that rain from Orlene could raise the levels of rivers and streams and potentially flood low-lying areas.
