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Hurricane Rachel: Los Cabos schools closed Thursday, four temporary shelters open Fourteen Los Cabos beaches closed under black flag due to Rachel's swells Hurricane Rachel reaches Category 1, expected to pass south of the peninsula; southern BCS told to monitor Classes canceled Monday the 7th in La Paz, Los Cabos and Comondú over Hurricane Marie rains BCS opens shelters and forecasts up to 155 mm of rain in La Paz and Los Cabos from 'Marie' Los Cabos opens four shelters and activates brigades over rain up to 75 mm this Sunday Hurricane Rachel: Los Cabos schools closed Thursday, four temporary shelters open Fourteen Los Cabos beaches closed under black flag due to Rachel's swells Hurricane Rachel reaches Category 1, expected to pass south of the peninsula; southern BCS told to monitor Classes canceled Monday the 7th in La Paz, Los Cabos and Comondú over Hurricane Marie rains BCS opens shelters and forecasts up to 155 mm of rain in La Paz and Los Cabos from 'Marie' Los Cabos opens four shelters and activates brigades over rain up to 75 mm this Sunday
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Fourteen Los Cabos beaches closed under black flag due to Rachel's swells

ZOFEMAT closed five beaches in San José del Cabo and nine in Cabo San Lucas; the rest of the municipality is under red or yellow flags.

By Miguel Díaz Miró · Responsible editor ·
Black flag on a Los Cabos beach due to Hurricane Rachel swells

Los Cabos' Federal Maritime Land Zone office (ZOFEMAT) has preventively closed 14 beaches in the municipality, all under a black flag, because of the larger waves and rip currents generated by Hurricane Rachel in the Pacific. The remaining beaches in Los Cabos are under red or yellow flags.

ZOFEMAT municipal coordinator Héctor Agúndez Cota said the closure aims to protect swimmers for as long as the storm affects sea conditions.

Closed beaches in San José del Cabo

  • Palmilla
  • Acapulquito
  • Costa Azul
  • Las Palmas
  • La Playa

Closed beaches in Cabo San Lucas and the tourist corridor

  • Club Cascada
  • Villas del Palmar
  • Villa La Estancia
  • RIU Palace
  • RIU Santa Fe
  • RIU Baja California
  • Las Viudas
  • El Chileno
  • El Tule

Why the sea is dangerous even without rain

On Thursday morning Rachel was about 230 miles (370 km) south of the tip of the peninsula, with 105 mph winds. The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that its swells will reach the Baja California peninsula and cause life-threatening surf and rip currents through the end of the week.

Those swells can arrive under clear skies. A beach with nice weather is not necessarily safe: go by the flag, not the sky.

What each flag means

  • Black: beach closed; entering the water is prohibited.
  • Red: high risk; swimming is not advised.
  • Yellow: caution; swim only near shore and where lifeguards are present.

Recommendations

ZOFEMAT asked the public to respect the restrictions, follow instructions from its staff, Civil Protection and other authorities, and watch official notices to learn when beaches reopen. If someone is caught in a rip current, the general advice is not to swim against it but parallel to the shore, and to call 911 for help.

The closures coincide with the suspension of classes across the municipality and the opening of four temporary shelters in San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas.

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