Los Cabos schools stay closed Friday, October 2, due to Hurricane Rachel
The State Civil Protection Council extended the closure one more day for all grade levels and shifts; 75 to 150 mm of rain and waves up to 6 meters are expected.
Schools in Los Cabos remain closed on Friday, October 2, at every grade level and in both morning and afternoon shifts. The Baja California Sur State Civil Protection Council extended for one more day the closure first ordered on Thursday because of Hurricane Rachel.
The measure applies only to the municipality of Los Cabos. No similar closure was announced for the rest of the state on Friday.
The forecast
According to Mexico's National Weather Service (SMN), as cited by state authorities, Rachel remains a Category 3 hurricane and is moving away from Mexican territory. Even so, its circulation will keep affecting the southern tip of the peninsula.
Los Cabos can expect locally intense rainfall of 75 to 150 millimeters, winds of 40 to 50 km/h with gusts of 60 to 70 km/h, and waves 4 to 6 meters high. Those conditions make travel difficult across arroyos (dry riverbeds) and unpaved roads.
Why the closure continues
The Council said the decision aims to protect students, staff and families from travel and safety risks caused by rain, wind and surf. On Thursday, October 1, when the first closure was agreed, Rachel was a Category 1 storm with sustained winds of 140 km/h and gusts of 170 km/h; in under 24 hours it strengthened to Category 3.
What parents should do
- Keep children home on Friday.
- Do not cross arroyos on foot or by car: with 75 to 150 mm of rain, channels in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo can rise within minutes.
- Confirm the return to classes only through official state government, education and Civil Protection channels; messaging-app chains often spread false notices.
- In an emergency, dial 9-1-1.
Context
Rachel arrives just days after Hurricane Polo made landfall as a Category 2 storm near Las Barrancas, in Comondú, on Tuesday, September 29. State authorities reported no casualties from Polo, and schools and government offices reopened the following day.
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs through November 30, so residents should keep an emergency kit ready with documents, water, a flashlight and medication.
Related
The city opened four shelters in San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas plus seven staging points; no evacuation has been ordered so far.
ZOFEMAT keeps a total ban on entering the ocean until waves, forecast at 4 to 6 meters, subside.
The hurricane was 390 km south of Cabo San Lucas at 3 p.m.; waves of 4 to 6 meters are forecast along the state's coast.
The storm reached Category 2 about 370 km south of Cabo San Lucas; 50 to 75 mm of rain is expected in southern Baja California Sur.