Mexican president urges residents to shelter as Hurricane Simon approaches

A Category 4 hurricane is the second-highest level on the five-category Saffir-Simpson scale. It has sustained winds of 209 to 251 km/h. These winds can severely damage homes, strip roofs, break trees and utility poles, and make travel extremely dangerous. Simon reached this strength while offshore Mexico.

The article reports winds of at least 240 km/h around Simon’s eye. That is near the top of the Category 4 range. Businesses in Puerto Vallarta boarded up windows and used sandbags as the storm approached. Powerful winds also combined with heavy rain and huge waves to threaten coastal communities.

The danger remains serious even without a confirmed landfall. Sheinbaum urged residents in coastal municipalities to stay sheltered until authorities declared the danger over. Officials also suspended classes and began evacuations in affected areas. Simon’s winds could weaken, but coastal flooding, falling trees, debris, and damaged infrastructure can remain hazardous after the center passes.

Hurricane Simon threatened southwestern Mexico with exceptional rainfall and dangerous coastal water. The United States National Hurricane Center forecast another 8 to 16 inches, or 20 to 41 cm, over portions of the region. Such rain can quickly overwhelm drainage systems, flood waterways, and destabilize slopes.

The highest possible totals were even greater. Up to 76 cm, or 30 inches, of rain could fall in parts of Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco through Monday. Jalisco’s governor also reported waves as high as 8 metres, or 26 feet. The storm surge was seen crashing onto sidewalks and flooding waterways, but the article does not state a separate surge height.

These threats can overlap. Heavy rain raises river and flood risks, while large waves and surge affect beaches, roads, and low-lying coastal areas. Authorities suspended classes, issued alerts, and began evacuations. Residents were told to remain sheltered until officials confirmed that the danger had passed.

The storm’s greatest risks were concentrated along Mexico’s Pacific coast. President Claudia Sheinbaum specifically named coastal municipalities in Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit, and Michoacan. These states faced a combination of hurricane winds, torrential rain, flooding, and dangerous ocean conditions.

Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco had the greatest apparent risk of a direct hit because it sits on a cape that extends into the Pacific Ocean. Puerto Vallarta, another Jalisco destination, boarded up business windows and placed sandbags at entrances. The governor also reported waves reaching 8 metres along the state’s coast.

The threat extended beyond individual beachfront towns. Rain was already battering communities between the Sierra Madre mountains and the ocean. Authorities placed 28 municipalities in Jalisco and Colima under the highest cyclone alert, while 93 others received a high alert. Classes were suspended, and evacuation efforts were under way.

Hilly and mountainous areas can face mudslides because hurricanes bring intense rain over a short time. Water enters the soil, adds weight, and can weaken the ground holding a slope together. Fast runoff can then carry soil, rocks, trees, and debris downhill. A storm does not need to make landfall for this process to begin.

Simon had already brought torrential rain to communities between the Sierra Madre mountain range and the Pacific Ocean. The National Hurricane Center warned of another 20 to 41 cm of rain in parts of southwestern Mexico, with totals possibly reaching 76 cm in Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco. That amount of water can overwhelm slopes and waterways.

Mudslides can block roads, isolate communities, damage homes, and threaten people below steep terrain. They may also occur during or after the heaviest rain, rather than when the hurricane’s center is closest. That is why officials warned mountain communities, suspended classes, and began evacuations while urging residents to follow official instructions.

Cyclone alert levels help authorities communicate the seriousness of a storm and coordinate public action. Higher levels generally mean greater danger and a stronger need to shelter, prepare, or evacuate. The article does not list every level’s formal criteria, but it shows that Mexico uses the system to identify municipalities needing urgent protection.

Mexico’s National Civil Protection Coordination placed 28 municipalities in Jalisco and Colima under its highest cyclone alert. Another 93 municipalities were under a high alert. Authorities suspended classes in affected areas and began efforts to evacuate residents. These actions matched the storm’s powerful winds, extreme rainfall, flooding, and dangerous waves.

The alert level is not the only instruction residents should follow. Sheinbaum told people in coastal municipalities across four states to remain sheltered until authorities officially declared the danger over. In practice, officials combine forecasts, local conditions, and expected impacts when deciding whether to close schools, order evacuations, or maintain shelter guidance.

A hurricane does not need to cross the shoreline to create dangerous coastal conditions. Its strong winds transfer energy to the ocean, generating large waves and pushing water toward the coast. Lower air pressure near the storm can also help raise sea levels beneath it. Together, these effects can produce storm surge, wave flooding, and dangerous currents.

Simon’s eye was moving offshore of Jalisco, yet the governor reported waves as high as 8 metres. Video shared by Jalisco’s governor showed storm surge crashing onto sidewalks and flooding waterways. These impacts reached the coast while the hurricane remained over or near the Pacific Ocean.

Offshore passage can reduce the chance of a direct land strike, but it does not remove coastal danger. Waves can damage seawalls, roads, beaches, and buildings, while surge can flood low-lying areas. That is why authorities warned of high-risk marine conditions and told coastal residents to remain sheltered until officials ended the danger period.

Hurricanes are large rotating storms powered by warm ocean water. Heat from the sea causes moist air to rise. As that air rises and cools, water vapor condenses and releases heat, giving the storm more energy. Air flows inward to replace the rising air, while Earth’s rotation helps organize the circulation.

When the ocean stays warm and upper-level winds do not disrupt the storm, this cycle can intensify. A stronger circulation draws in more moist air and can produce heavier rain and faster winds. The article reports that Simon reached Category 4 strength on Saturday, with winds of at least 240 km/h while offshore Mexico.

The report describes the Pacific hurricane season as unusually active, but it does not explain the storm’s full formation process. Simon’s future effects depended on its track and intensity. Even without confirmed landfall, warm-ocean energy supported powerful winds, torrential rain, high waves, and coastal flooding risks.