Hurricane ‘Simón’ floods Jalisco and Colima on its way north

Hurricane Simón moved north along Mexico’s Pacific coast and brought flooding to Jalisco and Colima. The event mattered because the storm affected several states while continuing toward other populated coastal areas. Its changing strength also shaped the risks faced by communities along its route.

Reports described Simón weakening to Category 3 while advancing slowly toward Nayarit and Sinaloa. Another report placed it at Category 2 offshore from Jalisco. Forecasts also suggested that it could reach Mazatlán, Sinaloa, around Wednesday, showing how the projected path shifted attention northward.

The immediate reality was a broad regional emergency rather than a single-location event. Simón was mentioned alongside Rachel and the remnants of Isaías, which caused damage in Mexico and the southern United States. The storm’s slow movement, flooding, and possible approach to Mazatlán meant residents and authorities farther north had to remain alert.

A hurricane is a large, organized tropical weather system that forms over warm ocean water. It has a rotating circulation, sustained strong winds, heavy rain, and often a defined center. The term “hurricane” is used for tropical cyclones in certain ocean regions, including the eastern Pacific, where Simón developed.

An ordinary storm may be local, brief, or less organized. A hurricane can cover a much wider area and maintain dangerous conditions for many hours or days. Its winds are measured by sustained speed, and its category reflects wind strength. Simón’s reports as Category 2 and Category 3 indicate a major tropical system, not a routine rainstorm.

That distinction matters because hurricanes bring several hazards at once. Even when the strongest winds remain offshore, rain can overwhelm rivers and drainage systems, while coastal water can rise. Simón’s flooding in Jalisco and Colima illustrates why hurricane danger includes water impacts, not only wind damage.

Simón was reported at two different strengths during its northward movement. One headline said it weakened to Category 3, while another placed it at Category 2 off Jalisco. The difference matters because each category signals a different level of sustained wind danger and potential damage.

On the Saffir–Simpson scale, Category 2 hurricanes have sustained winds of 154–177 kilometers per hour. Category 3 hurricanes have sustained winds of 178–208 kilometers per hour. These are approximate official thresholds for the scale, which measures wind rather than rainfall, flooding, or the storm’s total size.

The reports therefore suggest that Simón lost strength over time, moving from the Category 3 range toward Category 2. However, weakening did not make it harmless. The storm still produced flooding in Jalisco and Colima and continued toward Nayarit and Sinaloa, where rain, coastal water, and remaining winds could still threaten communities.

Hurricanes cause flooding through more than their peak winds. Their broad rainbands can release intense rain far from the center, while coastal winds push seawater toward shore. If rain falls faster than soil, rivers, and drainage systems can absorb it, water spreads across streets, homes, and farmland.

Simón flooded Jalisco and Colima even as reports placed it offshore or described it moving onward. That example shows why a storm’s most dangerous rainfall does not have to occur exactly where its strongest winds are measured. Mountainous terrain can also speed runoff into rivers and communities, while saturated ground leaves less room for new rain.

The current risk therefore depends on the whole storm, not one wind reading. Coastal areas must watch for rising seawater, and inland areas must monitor rainfall, rivers, and landslides. Simón’s slow movement toward Nayarit and Sinaloa could prolong those hazards, even as its category declined.

Simón was expected to move toward Nayarit and Sinaloa because forecasts showed its northward route continuing along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Mazatlán, in Sinaloa, was mentioned as a possible target around Wednesday. These projections matter because they identify communities that may need preparation before dangerous weather arrives.

Forecasters estimate a hurricane’s path by locating its center and measuring surrounding winds, pressure, temperature, and ocean conditions. They feed those observations into computer models that simulate how the atmosphere may steer the system. Forecasters compare several model results and update the track as new data arrives.

A forecast is a changing estimate, not a guaranteed line. Simón’s slow movement and changing category made updates important. The storm’s reported approach toward Nayarit, Sinaloa, and possibly Mazatlán meant officials and residents needed to follow new warnings, because small track changes can shift the areas receiving the heaviest rain or strongest winds.

Multiple tropical systems can increase danger when their effects overlap in time or place. Rain from one system can saturate soil and raise rivers, leaving communities less able to absorb the next downpour. Strong winds, coastal water, landslides, damaged roads, and disrupted communications can then make rescue and evacuation harder.

The reports connected Simón and Rachel with two deaths and 10 disappearances. They also said Simón and the remnants of Isaías caused damage in Mexico and the southern United States. These facts show how separate systems can create a wider emergency, even if each storm follows a different track.

The main risk is cumulative impact. A weakening storm can still deliver heavy rain after another system has already strained drainage, transport, and emergency services. As Simón moved north toward Nayarit and Sinaloa, authorities had to consider not only its own hazards but also the existing damage and vulnerability left by Rachel and Isaías.

Tropical cyclones begin over warm ocean water when heat causes moist air to rise. Air pressure falls near the surface, and surrounding air moves inward. Earth’s rotation helps organize that flow into a rotating system. Condensation releases additional heat, which can make the circulation stronger and more organized.

A cyclone strengthens when warm water continues feeding it, the atmosphere supports rising air, and winds at different heights do not tear the system apart. It weakens when it moves over cooler water or land, loses access to ocean moisture, or encounters strong wind shear. Dry air can also disrupt its thunderstorms.

These processes help explain Simón’s changing status. Reports described it as Category 3 and later Category 2 while it moved slowly toward Nayarit and Sinaloa. The article does not identify the exact cause of that weakening, but hurricane science shows that changing ocean or atmospheric conditions can reduce a cyclone’s wind strength.