Two people have lost their lives in a landslide triggered by Hurricane John, which struck Mexico’s southern coast Monday night. The hurricane brought torrential rainfall and prompted warnings of potentially life-threatening floods.
John made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (193 kph) near the city of Marquelia in Guerrero state at approximately 9:15 p.m. local time, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane’s powerful winds and intense rainfall wreaked havoc across the region.
Since making landfall, John has weakened to a tropical storm and is currently moving northwest, away from the coastal city of Acapulco in Oaxaca state.
However, its slow movement, combined with the nearby mountainous terrain, is expected to lead to “catastrophic rainfall both along the coast and inland,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
The two fatalities occurred in the town of Tlacoachistlahuaca, Guerrero, where heavy rainfall triggered a landslide that hit a home, Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda announced on Tuesday.
Just 24 hours earlier, John had maximum winds of 35 mph (56 kph), but underwent two rapid intensifications, increasing its wind speed more than threefold within that period.
There remains a possibility that John could re-emerge over the ocean and regain strength as it continues to “skirt the southern coast of Mexico,” the National Hurricane Center reported.
Regardless of its path, John is expected to produce heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash floods across southern Mexico for the next several days.
Hurricane John Hitting Mexico
Photos taken after Hurricane John’s passage show boats on the water in Acapulco, while other images capture fishermen in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, returning to shore ahead of the hurricane’s arrival on September 23, 2024.
Oaxaca’s state governor reported that 3,000 people had been evacuated and 80 shelters set up. Additionally, authorities suspended classes in several coastal areas, as reported by the Associated Press.
In Puerto Escondido, a popular tourist destination in the southern region, businesses have shut down following orders to halt all work on the area’s main beaches.
Ana Aldai, a restaurant worker, expressed concern, saying she felt “a little bit distressed” by the sudden notice from authorities.
“There wasn’t enough time to make the necessary preparations,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the port of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca was closed ahead of John’s arrival, as shown in photographs of the area.
As the storm moves, the government of Mexico has downgraded the hurricane warning from east of Acapulco to Lagunas de Chacahua, replacing it with a tropical storm warning. All previous hurricane warnings have been discontinued.
Significant rainfall, ranging from 6 to 12 inches, with isolated totals up to 15 inches, is forecast for coastal areas of Chiapas.
In areas along and near the Oaxaca coast and southeast Guerrero, rain totals could range from 10 to 20 inches, with isolated areas receiving as much as 30 inches by Thursday.
This level of rainfall is expected to cause severe flash flooding and trigger mudslides in the region’s mountainous terrain.
