ENSENADA, Mexico — The death toll in the Hurricane Simon Mexico floods rose to six on Tuesday, after relentless rains from Hurricane Simon and the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel triggered flooding and landslides along Mexico’s Pacific coast, authorities told the Associated Press. With five people still missing and a new tropical storm forming offshore, officials warn the toll could still climb. The figures below are as of Tuesday, October 13, and the situation is developing.
The combined toll marks a grim turning point in a storm system that has battered Mexico’s Pacific coastline for days. According to AP reporting from the scene, Simon continued moving slowly off the coast on Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane, dumping heavy rain on the states of Nayarit and Sinaloa, where authorities remained on alert for rising rivers and fresh flooding.
Ensenada Bears the Worst of the Hurricane Simon Mexico Floods
The worst damage was reported far north of Simon’s track, in the coastal city of Ensenada, Baja California, where flooding unleashed by Rachel’s remnants killed at least five people.
According to the state prosecutor’s office, which briefed the AP on the toll, the victims included a 13-year-old girl whose body was found Sunday, two women ages 30 and 35 and a 4-year-old boy whose bodies were recovered Monday, and an unidentified person found near a stream on Tuesday. Five others remained missing in Baja California, including three in Ensenada and a father and son who went fishing Saturday in San Felipe, on the Gulf of California, and never returned.
On Tuesday, about 300 military personnel, police and rescue workers combed the banks of Ensenada’s El Pipila stream, while the Mexican Navy continued searching for the missing fishermen, state civil protection authorities said. Floodwaters swept away vehicles, damaged homes and cut off access to some communities across the region.
Johana Nuriulu, a resident of Ensenada’s Buena Vista community, told the AP the flooding struck overnight, shortly after heavy rain knocked out electricity. “We heard a loud noise that sounded like ocean waves, but very intense,” she said. When she stepped outside, a nearby stream had overflowed. “The water was sweeping everything away; it took a cabin … animals, everything.”
Rachel had made its way north earlier in the week as a weakening system — as The Nerdy Humourist previously reported, forecasters had warned the storm’s moisture would bring dangerous rain to Baja California — and its remnants found tragically fertile ground in Ensenada’s low-lying neighborhoods.
Simon Lingers Offshore, Threatening More Rain
Meanwhile, Hurricane Simon itself remains an active and dangerous storm. The hurricane was moving parallel to Mexico’s Pacific coast on Tuesday, threatening more rainfall in Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, Simon was centered about 180 kilometers (110 miles) west of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, with maximum sustained winds of 150 kph (90 mph), and was drifting west at just 4 kph (2 mph) — a crawl that prolongs the rainfall over already saturated ground.
Over the weekend, Simon’s heavy rain reached the southern state of Guerrero, killing one person. Gov. Evelyn Salgado said the rains toppled trees and utility poles, blocked roads and flooded homes in coastal communities, including the resort city of Acapulco. A 71-year-old person died when a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo, the state capital, she said.
Authorities also took preventive measures in the port city of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, ahead of the storm, national Civil Protection Coordinator Laura Velázquez said Monday. There were signs of relief in one tourist hub: conditions were improving in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, where residents began resuming normal activities as the rain subsided, state authorities ordered schools to reopen Tuesday, and operations at the city’s airport gradually resumed.
Simon has been a stubborn, slow-moving system throughout its life — part of an above-average Pacific hurricane season. The basin has already produced other powerful storms this season, including Hurricane Nolo near Hawaii.
Helicopter Rescues as the Hurricane Simon Mexico Floods Spread
As search teams worked in Ensenada, rescuers also carried out a dramatic evacuation nearby. Elsewhere near the city, Mexican soldiers used helicopters to rescue 32 people, including 13 minors, from Rancho Genesis, a camp for orphans staffed by missionaries. The army said 22 of those rescued were foreign nationals, and Baja California Security Secretary Gen. Laureano Carrillo said they included Americans and Germans.
And forecasters are already watching the next system. On Tuesday, Tropical Storm Trudy formed in the Pacific Ocean and is forecast to become a major hurricane in the next few days, the hurricane center in Miami said. It was about 490 miles (790 km) south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).
With Simon still offshore, rivers swollen and five people unaccounted for, Mexican authorities are urging residents in vulnerable areas of the Pacific coast to follow civil protection guidance. The AP notes that further rainfall is expected through the week — and with the ground already waterlogged, even moderate rain could trigger new flash flooding and landslides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have died in the Hurricane Simon Mexico floods?
Six deaths had been confirmed as of Tuesday, October 13: five in Ensenada, Baja California, from flooding caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel, and one in Guerrero state from Hurricane Simon’s rains. Five others were still missing. The toll is preliminary and could rise as search operations continue.
Where was the flood damage worst?
The coastal city of Ensenada, Baja California, suffered the worst of it. Rachel’s remnants overwhelmed streams and streets there, sweeping away vehicles, damaging homes and cutting off entire communities. A collapsed roadway and widespread debris testified to the force of the water.
Is Hurricane Simon still a threat?
Yes. As of Tuesday, Simon was a Category 1 hurricane moving slowly just offshore, dumping heavy rain on Nayarit and Sinaloa, with authorities on alert for rising rivers. It is a slow mover, which means prolonged rainfall — and a newly formed Tropical Storm Trudy is now also being watched.
Who are the victims, and who is still missing?
Authorities identified a 13-year-old girl (found Sunday), two women ages 30 and 35 and a 4-year-old boy (recovered Monday), plus one unidentified person found near a stream Tuesday — all in Ensenada, with a sixth victim in Guerrero. Three people remain missing in Ensenada, plus a father and son who went fishing Saturday in San Felipe and never returned.
This is a developing story. The Nerdy Humourist will update this article as authorities confirm new details.
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