La Paz and Los Cabos ports closed to small boats as Hurricane Simon lingers offshore
The State Civil Protection Council met Wednesday; Simon weakened to Category 1 about 400 km from Cabo San Lucas and will be reassessed Thursday at 8 p.m.
The ports of La Paz and Los Cabos are closed to small-vessel traffic as a precaution against Hurricane Simon, the Baja California Sur State Civil Protection Council said after meeting on Wednesday, October 14. The storm weakened to Category 1 and was located about 400 kilometers south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas.
Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío led the session and urged residents to take precautions and closely follow the storm's development. The Council agreed to meet again on Thursday, October 15, at 8 p.m. to review conditions and decide on further measures.
Where Simon stands
According to the state report, at 9 a.m. Wednesday the hurricane's center was 260 kilometers west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco. It was moving southwest at 4 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h (93 mph); hurricane-force winds extend 20 kilometers from the center and tropical-storm-force winds up to 55.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported at 2 p.m. that a Hurricane Hunter aircraft confirmed further weakening, with winds near 75 mph (120 km/h). The agency said interests in Baja California Sur should continue to monitor the cyclone.
Only on Tuesday night, state Civil Protection had reported Simon at Category 2, with 175 km/h winds. That shift in less than a day is why each advisory matters: the system is crawling and its heading may change.
What to expect in BCS
State officials forecast 25 to 50 millimeters of accumulated rain, with isolated spots up to 75 mm in central and southern Baja California Sur. They also expect high surf and rip currents along the state's coasts over the coming days.
The statement does not mention school closures or the opening of temporary shelters. Those decisions are usually made at Council sessions, so Thursday night's meeting is the next one to watch.
What to do
- Fishermen, panga operators and boat tour providers: stay in port while the small-vessel closure is in effect; check with the harbor master before heading out.
- At the beach: stay out of the water even under clear skies; rip currents arrive before the rain.
- In town: do not cross flowing arroyos or low-water crossings, and clear drains and rooftops.
- Follow only advisories from BCS Civil Protection and Mexico's National Weather Service (SMN).
Tropical Storm Trudy also remains active in the same basin; the National Hurricane Center placed it off southwestern Mexico and said it was still strengthening Wednesday afternoon.
Related
Public Services crews are clearing the San José Viejo ford and the City Club area; municipal Civil Protection is monitoring possible rain on Monday, Oct. 19, and Tuesday, Oct. 20.
The State Civil Protection Council expects the tropical storm to weaken to a depression Friday afternoon; Hurricane Trudy is not expected to affect Baja California Sur.
State Civil Protection expects the system to decay into a tropical depression and remnant low between Friday and Sunday; only the port of La Paz remains open.
The tropical storm has weakened slightly; no watches or warnings are in effect for Baja California Sur, but rain and high surf are still forecast through Saturday.