Tuesday, September 24, 2024 Hurricane John intensified with alarming speed, hitting Mexico’s southern Pacific coast late Monday as a Category 3 storm, with winds reaching 120 mph. The hurricane made landfall near Punta Maldonado , bringing life-threatening floods and storm surges to tourist hotspots like Acapulco and Puerto Escondido . The rapid intensification of the storm caught both residents and authorities off guard, forcing evacuations and emergency measures along the Pacific coastline.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador urged residents to prioritize safety over material possessions, using the social media platform X to say, “Seek higher ground, protect yourselves and remember that life is the most important thing.” He assured citizens that the government would respond to the crisis. By early Tuesday, John had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane, with winds at 100 mph, but remained a significant threat as it moved inland over Oaxaca and Guerrero.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that devastating storm surges and flash floods continued to affect Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Hurricane John’s rapid intensification highlights a growing trend that experts are linking to climate change . Warmer ocean waters provide fuel for hurricanes, leading to storms that gain strength unexpectedly. Matt Benz , Senior Meteorologist at AccuWeather , stated that these phenomena are occurring more frequently and are becoming increasingly difficult to predict.
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