Simon weakens but leaves sand on the Transpeninsular highway; Los Cabos watches another system for Monday
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.
Rain from tropical cyclone Simon washed mud and sand onto the Transpeninsular highway, the San José Viejo ford and the City Club area of San José del Cabo, the Los Cabos municipal government reported. Public Services crews are clearing sediment to reopen traffic, while municipal Civil Protection is already tracking a new tropical system that could bring rain on Monday, Oct. 19, and Tuesday, Oct. 20.
What Simon left behind
According to the municipality, crews were deployed immediately to critical spots to remove sediment blocking roads. "Las cuadrillas permanecerán desplegadas y atendiendo los reportes ciudadanos" (crews will remain deployed and responding to residents' reports), said Manuel Ernesto Montaño Castro, director general of Public Services.
Heavy rain fell in Cabo San Lucas on Friday morning. Francisco Cota Márquez, municipal director of Civil Protection and Risk Management, said the system has weakened into a post-tropical remnant low, with scattered clouds and no heavy rain expected over the weekend.
Statewide outlook
The State Civil Protection Council, chaired by Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío, said in its latest report that Simon was 260 kilometers south of Cabo San Lucas, with sustained winds of 65 km/h, gusts to 85 km/h, moving northwest at 15 km/h. The state forecast calls for 25 to 50 millimeters of rain between Friday and Sunday in La Paz, Los Cabos and parts of Comondú.
The council added that Category 3 Hurricane Trudy will make its closest approach off the coast of Jalisco this weekend and is not expected to move toward Baja California Sur. The governor urged residents to stay informed through official channels and follow authorities' recommendations.
What to do
- Do not cross arroyos or flooded fords, even if the water looks shallow: 25 to 50 mm of rain can make local streambeds rise within minutes.
- On the Transpeninsular between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, slow down where there is sand or mud; braking distances get longer.
- Report blocked roads or runoff to the Los Cabos municipal government at (624) 146 7600.
- For emergencies, dial 911.
- Check Civil Protection updates on Monday before heading out: the new system could bring rain starting that afternoon.
The Pacific hurricane season officially runs through Nov. 30, so it is worth keeping water, a flashlight, documents in a plastic bag and the location of your nearest temporary shelter at hand.
Related
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.
The cyclone is drifting slowly southwest, but small-craft port closures in La Paz and Los Cabos and the rain and surf watch remain in place.