Residents of Mexico’s Baja California Sur state boarded up homes and workers hauled dirt and rubble to shore up embankments as Hurricane Polo bore down on the peninsula Monday, threatening high winds, floods and mudslides.
asserted
Polo → board → winds
Meanwhile, Hurricane Nolo could still bring torrential rain to parts of Hawaii even as the storm edged away from the state.
uncertain
storm → bring → state
In Puerto San Carlos, a fishing town of about 5,700 people, some feared high tides and pounding waves from Polo could breach barriers and send seawater into the community.
uncertain
tides → fear → community
Some families planned to head to shelters in Ciudad Constitucion, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) away, while dozens of people elsewhere in the state were evacuated.
asserted
dozens → plan → state
“Civil Protection told those of us here in San Carlos to evacuate because this is a high-risk area.
asserted
this → tell → Carlos
With the current tides, the expected waves and the wind, the earthen barriers they built (to prevent flooding) could give way,” Rocío Sánchez, a fisherwoman, said.
uncertain
Sánchez → expect → way
Polo barreling toward Baja California peninsula
Polo was a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) Monday morning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
asserted
Center → barrel → Miami
Forecasters said it would hit the Mexican mainland after lashing Baja California Sur with heavy rains, potentially causing life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
asserted
it → say → flooding
It could bring heavy rain and flooding to parts of the U.S. Southwest later in the week.
uncertain
It → bring → week
“Polo is forecast to be near major hurricane strength when it reaches Baja California Sur later today, and is anticipated to be a hurricane when it makes landfall in mainland Mexico late tonight or early Tuesday morning,” the center said.
asserted
center → forecast → Mexico
As swirling clouds and strong winds marked the region, Laura Velázquez, national coordinator of Mexico’s Civil Protection Agency, reported that Polo would make landfall later in the afternoon.
asserted
Polo → swirl → afternoon
At a Monday morning news briefing, she urged residents to stay off the streets and seek shelter if their homes are at risk.
asserted
homes → urge → risk
She said travel will be suspended in the area where the hurricane was expected to make landfall and that ports across the region would be closed.
asserted
ports → say → region
Nolo, meanwhile, was well southwest of Hawaii and moving away from the Big Island as the weekend drew to a close, but a wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Monday morning.
asserted
advisory → move → morning
Nolo’s maximum sustained winds increased to near 155 mph (249 kph).
asserted
winds → increase → mph
It's been a busy season for Pacific storms
Storm activity in the Pacific has been above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec.
uncertain
what → accord → Oravec
He said that pattern is consistent with El Nino years, when the Pacific often sees more tropical storms and hurricanes.
asserted
Pacific → say → storms
With Polo approaching Mexico, the Mexican navy said it has gathered personnel and humanitarian aid in the ports of Guaymas and Mazatlan, on the Pacific Coast, and deployed three vessels that could ship aid to coastal communities isolated by the storm.
uncertain
that → approach → storm
One of the towns in the hurricane’s projected path is San Juanico, a small fishing community on Baja’s Pacific coast.
asserted
One → project → coast
The town has only had full-time electricity for a few years, and still experiences frequent outages.
asserted
town → have → outages
There is concern that washed-out roads could block access to medical facilities.
uncertain
roads → be → facilities
“Our people are concerned about this event,” said Gloriely Robles Meza, a manager at a small hotel.
asserted
Meza → say → hotel
“We haven’t faced such a worrying situation in many years.”
asserted
We → face → years
Robles Meza said Sunday that army soldiers arrived in San Juanico to prepare a shelter and provide support for possible emergencies.
asserted
soldiers → say → emergencies
Also Sunday, Tropical Storm Rachel formed well off Mexico’s southwest coast.
asserted
Rachel → form → coast
The hurricane center said Rachel had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (82 kph) and was located about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south-southwest of Acapulco.
asserted
Rachel → say → Acapulco
In Hawaii, floods and mudslides are still a risk
Forecasters said Nolo’s outer bands could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with parts of the Big Island possibly getting up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain.
uncertain
parts → say → rain
Heavy rain also was expected on the other islands.
asserted
rain → expect → islands
More than 120 National Guard members were activated, part of roughly 400 statewide after the governor issued an emergency proclamation.
asserted
governor → activate → proclamation
President Donald Trump recently approved an emergency declaration, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate assistance and provide funding support.
asserted
Trump → approve → support
Hawaii residents are still recovering from Hurricane Lala, which produced heavy rain and winds strong enough to sweep about 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island.
asserted
which → recover → Island
The Aporia
