Hurricane Trudy threatens Mexican coast with flooding, mudslides

Hurricane Trudy lashed parts of Mexico’s Pacific coast with heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday as the US National Hurricane Centre warned of potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides.

A hurricane warning remained in effect from Manzanillo in Colima state to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco. The latest NHC data showed the Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165kph) moving northwest off Mexico’s Pacific coast at 10 mph (17kph).

Meanwhile, Typhoon Champi was moving away from Guam as a Category 4 super typhoon.

Trudy’s centre was expected to remain near the Mexican coast through Sunday evening before moving south of the Baja California Peninsula on Monday and Tuesday. A tropical storm warning remained in effect for Las Islas Marias. A warning for the coast east of Punta San Telmo to Lazaro Cardenas had been discontinued.

The Mexican navy urged mariners and coastal residents to exercise extreme caution because of high waves, heavy rain and the risk of rising rivers, flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.

Colima authorities said the risks remained low, but warned that heavy rainfall could cause damage because the ground was already saturated by successive storms along the Pacific coast.

Trudy was expected to bring 4-8 inches (10-20 centimetres) of rain through the weekend, with isolated totals of around 12 inches (30 centimetres) along and near the coast in Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. The hurricane centre warned of potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.

Also in the Pacific, Champi was moving away from Guam on Sunday after passing close to the island’s southern tip, with sustained winds of 150 mph (240kph). Late on Sunday afternoon it was 200 miles (320 kilometres) west of Guam, moving west at 14 mph (23kph), according to the US National Weather Service.

The storm was forecast to weaken through Monday but remain a major typhoon. All tropical cyclone watches and warnings for Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan had been cancelled.

The governors of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands requested emergency disaster declarations on Friday.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Guam authorising the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all federal disaster relief efforts. FEMA announced that federal disaster help was available for the territory of Guam to supplement local response efforts following Typhoon Champi.

Airports, harbours and some health facilities in the territories were closed. Resources were unlikely to reach the islands for three to five days, according to updates on Saturday from FEMA.

The territories are still recovering from super typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi, which struck in April and July, respectively.