Dangeorus Hurricane Rick still growing off Mexico

[samanthajane13]

MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Rick quickly strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday and forecasters said it could strike the Baja California Peninsula in about five days.

The storm had sustained winds near 145 mph (230 kph) and it was expected to grow into a monster Category 5 storm with winds surpassing 155 mph (250 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami reported, though it said the storm was likely to lose much of that punch before hitting land.

Rick was centered about 280 miles (450 kilometers) southwest of Acapulco Saturday morning and it was moving west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph), the center said.

Forecasters said it was projected to stay well off the coast for several days before bending east over cooler waters and hitting the Baja California Peninsula by early Thursday as a weakened Category 1 hurricane.

Meteorologist Jessica Schauer told The Associated Press that warm waters fueled Rick's rapid jump from Category 1 to Category 4 in only about 36 hours.

"Right now it's over very warm water and the current forecast track keeps it over warm water for quite a while," she said.

Rick was forecast to pass near Socorro Island, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, on Tuesday. The island is a nature reserve with a small Mexican Navy post and it hosts scuba diving expeditions in winter months.

Acapulco's Civil Protection Department had earlier issued a warning that rains from outer bands of the storm could trigger landslides and flooding in the resort city.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091017/...opical_weather

[samanthajane13]

Hurricane Rick reaches Category 5 off Mexico

MIAMI – Hurricane Rick has become an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm is now packing sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) and it could threaten the Baja California peninsula next week.

Authorities in the resort of Acapulco closed the port to small craft after Rick kicked up heavy waves and gusts of wind.

Rick was centered about 290 miles (470 kilometers) south of the port of Manzanillo, west of Acapulco, on Saturday afternoon and was moving northwest near 15 mph (24 kph).

Forecasters expect it to stay well off the coast for several days before bending east over cooler waters and hitting the peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane sometime Wednesday.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Rick strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday and forecasters said it could strike the Baja California Peninsula sometime next week.

Authorities in the resort of Acapulco closed the port to small craft after Rick kicked up heavy waves and gusts of wind.

"There are waves of 7 to 8 feet, and gusts of wind," said Victor Cruz Lopez, the watch officer at the port captain's office.

The storm had sustained winds near 150 mph (240 kph) and it was expected to grow into a monster Category 5 storm with winds surpassing 155 mph (250 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami reported, though it said the storm was likely to lose much of that punch before hitting land.

Rick was centered about 290 miles (470 kilometers) south of the port of Manzanillo, west of Acapulco, on Saturday afternoon and was moving northwest near 15 mph (24 kph), the center said.

Forecasters said it was projected to stay well off the coast for several days before bending east over cooler waters and hitting the Baja California Peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane sometime Wednesday.

Meteorologist Jessica Schauer told The Associated Press that warm waters fueled Rick's rapid jump from Category 1 to Category 4 in only about 36 hours.

"Right now it's over very warm water and the current forecast track keeps it over warm water for quite a while," she said.

Rick was forecast to pass near Socorro Island, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Cabo San Lucas, on Tuesday. The island is a nature reserve with a small Mexican Navy post and it hosts scuba diving expeditions in winter months.

Acapulco's Civil Protection Department had warned that rains from outer bands of the storm could trigger landslides and flooding in the resort city, but no such effects were reported Saturday.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091017/...opical_weather

[samanthajane13]

Rick continues as Category 5 hurricane off Mexico



MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Rick churned up potentially dangerous surf along a swath of Mexico's coast early Sunday as an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm, the strongest in the eastern North Pacific Ocean in more than a decade.

Rick continues to pack howling winds near 180 mph (285 kph) and its eye was centered about 555 miles (890 km) south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas as of 5 a.m. EDT Sunday (0900 GMT), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Rick was moving toward the west-northwest at about 14 mph (22 kph) and was expected to begin turning toward the northwest over the coming 48 hours, the center said.

Forecasters called on all those in Mexico's southern Baja California peninsula and along the mainland coast to closely monitor the storm, adding Rick would remain an extremely dangerous hurricane for the next day or two before losing some punch over cooler waters.

The hurricane was projected to stay well off the Mexican coast for days before closing in on the Baja California Peninsula as a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane sometime Wednesday, forecasters said.

Early Sunday, the center said hurricane-force winds extended outward from Rick's eye up to 60 miles (95 km) and forecasters said large swells generated by Rick would continue to pummel Mexico's southwest Pacific coast over the coming days.

Authorities in the resort city of Acapulco closed the port to small craft after Rick kicked up heavy waves and gusts of wind.

Acapulco's Civil Protection Department had warned that rains from the outer bands of the storm could cause landslides and flooding in the resort city, but no such effects were reported.

Rick was the second-strongest hurricane in the eastern North Pacific since 1966, when experts began keeping reliable records, said Hurricane Center meteorologist Hugh Cobb.

The strongest was Hurricane Linda, which generated maximum winds of 185 mph (296 kph) in September 1997.

"Rick is probably going to go into the record books as one of the most rapidly intensifying hurricanes," Cobb said.

The storm was generating some waves up to 50 feet (15 meters) high near its core, Cobb said, adding there were ship reports of 16-foot (5-meter) seas elsewhere off the Mexican coast.

He said the storm's danger should not be underestimated, however, as Rick will still have the potential as a Category 1 or Category 2 storm to provoke heavy rains and unleash mudslides.

Cobb said it is still uncertain whether the eye of the storm will make landfall.

Rick was forecast to pass early in the week near Socorro Island, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Cabo San Lucas. The island is a nature reserve with a small Mexican Navy post and it hosts scuba-diving expeditions in winter months.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091018/...opical_weather

[samanthajane13]

Cat 5 Hurricane Rick threatens Mexico resort city
By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson, Associated Press Writer – Sun Oct 18, 12:24 pm ET

MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Rick, the strongest eastern North Pacific storm in more than a decade, raged across open seas on Sunday, but forecasters said it could veer into resorts at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula by midweek.

The track of the Category 5 hurricane threatened to disrupt a major sport fishing tournament scheduled to start Wednesday in Los Cabos, where hundreds of fishermen — mainly Americans — were gathering.

The hurricane's winds were still a howling 175 mph (280 kph) Sunday, down slightly from a peak of 180 mph (285 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. But it was projected to move over cooler waters and weaken to around Category 2 status with winds of around 98 mph (156 kph) before hitting land.

The eye was centered about 500 miles (805 kilometers) south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas as of 11 a.m. EDT Sunday (1500 GMT).

Rick was moving toward the west-northwest at about 14 mph (22 kph) and it was expected to begin turning toward the northwest over the coming 48 hours before curving toward the northeast, the center said.

It's still far from clear where the storm will hit land, but the early forecast path would take it almost directly into Cabo San Lucas, where as many as 800 sports fishermen were expected to take part in the Bisbee's Los Cabos tournament, with about 130 boats scheduled to set off into the Pacific on Wednesday — the day Rick is projected to hit.

Teams from Russia and Japan had already shown up, and tournament organizer Clicerio Mercado said the three-day event would not be postponed, though fishing in the first two days might be canceled because of Rick, leaving it as a one-day event Friday.

"In past years, we have had to cancel the first day of fishing two or three times," Mercado said. "But postponing it (the entire tournament) isn't a possibility."

Mercado said that in the past, "very big" 700 to 800 pound fish had been caught in the wake of storms because the churned-up waters draw in hungry fish.

Forecasters said Rick could carry enough force to continue past the peninsula and slam into Mexico's mainland as a hurricane somewhere near the resort city of Mazatlan on Thursday.

Rick was the second-strongest hurricane in the eastern North Pacific since 1966, when experts began keeping reliable records, said Hurricane Center meteorologist Hugh Cobb.

The strongest was Hurricane Linda, which generated maximum winds of 185 mph (296 kph) in September 1997.

"Rick is probably going to go into the record books as one of the most rapidly intensifying hurricanes," Cobb said.

The storm was generating some waves up to 50 feet (15 meters) high near its core, Cobb said, adding there were ship reports of 16-foot (5-meter) seas elsewhere off the Mexican coast. Rick was also expected to send large sea swells against Mexico's Pacific coast .

The first inhabited land in Rick's path is Socorro Island, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Cabo San Lucas. The island is a nature reserve with a small Mexican Navy post and it hosts scuba-diving expeditions in winter months.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091018/...opical_weather

[samanthajane13]

Hurricane Rick weakens in Pacific, still dangerous
By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson, Associated Press Writer – 13 mins ago

MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Rick weakened in the eastern North Pacific on Sunday but was still a dangerous storm that forecasters said could veer into resorts at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula by midweek.

Rick's winds had decreased by Sunday night to 145 mph (230 kph), making it a Category 4 hurricane — down from its peak winds of 180 mph (285 kph) as a Category 5 storm, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said.

The storm is expected to weaken further over the next couple of days, but forecasters said a hurricane watch may be required for parts of southern Baja California on Monday. They said they expected Rick to make landfall by midweek as a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane, with winds ranging from 74 mph (120 kph) to 110 mph (177 kph).

As of 11 p.m. EDT Sunday (0300 GMT Monday), the eye was centered about 410 miles (660 kilometers) south of the peninsula town of Cabo San Lucas. The storm was moving toward the northwest near 13 mph (20 kph).

Rick threatened to disrupt a major sport-fishing tournament scheduled to start Wednesday in Los Cabos, where hundreds of fishermen — mainly Americans — were gathering.

Los Cabos' civil defense director, Francisco Cota, said authorities were already weighing plans to open storm shelters and start police patrols urging residents of low-lying neighborhoods to evacuate.

The first inhabited land in Rick's path is Socorro Island, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Cabo San Lucas, where about 103 personnel from the Mexican Navy and other government agencies are based.

The mainland base that commands the detachment said Navy personnel on the island reported some wind and rain and lowered communications antennas to prevent them from being blown away when the hurricane passes near the island Monday. Isla Socorro is a nature reserve that hosts the Navy detachment as well as scuba-diving expeditions.

It's still far from clear where the storm will hit land, but the early forecast path would take it almost directly into Cabo San Lucas, where as many as 800 sports fishermen were expected to take part in the Bisbee's Los Cabos tournament, with about 130 boats scheduled to set off into the Pacific on Wednesday — the day Rick is projected to hit.

Teams from Russia and Japan had already shown up, and tournament organizer Clicerio Mercado said the three-day event would not be postponed, though fishing in the first two days might be canceled because of Rick, possibly leaving it as a one-day event Friday.

"In past years, we have had to cancel the first day of fishing two or three times," Mercado said. "But postponing it (the entire tournament) isn't a possibility."

Mercado said that in the past, "very big" 700 to 800 pound fish had been caught in the wake of storms because the churned-up waters draw in hungry fish.

Forecasters said Rick could carry enough force to continue past the peninsula and slam into Mexico's mainland as a hurricane somewhere near the resort city of Mazatlan on Thursday.

Rick was the second-strongest hurricane in the eastern North Pacific since 1966, when experts began keeping reliable records, Hurricane Center meteorologist Hugh Cobb said.

The strongest was Hurricane Linda, which generated maximum winds of 185 mph (296 kph) in September 1997.

"Rick is probably going to go into the record books as one of the most rapidly intensifying hurricanes," Cobb said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091019/...opical_weather

[samanthajane13]

Pacific Hurricane Rick weakens, blamed in death
By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson, Associated Press Writer – 20 mins ago

MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Rick was more than a day away from the resorts of Baja California on Monday but the 13-foot (4-meter) waves it kicked up have already killed one person in Los Cabos, which lies almost directly in the Category 2 storm's forecast path.

Francisco Cota, the Los Cabos civil defense director, said a 38-year-old man was standing on a rocky point fishing when he was swept away by one of the big waves Sunday. Bystanders went to help the man, but by the time they got him out of the water he was dead.

"We have established patrols on the beaches to keep people from going into the sea," Cota said. Storm shelters were being opened at local schools and patrol vehicles were making the rounds of low-lying neighborhoods with loudspeakers urging people to evacuate.

"The port is closed ... and people are getting their boats our of the bay," Cota said.

Hurricane Rick's maximum sustained winds decreased Monday to near 100 mph (160 kph), down from its peak of 180 mph (285 kph) as a Category 5 storm last week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Rick was moving north-northwest at about 7 mph (11 kph).

The storm was expected to continue weakening, but could hit or pass just offshore of Los Cabos, at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, as a Category 1 hurricane by Wednesday, forecasters said.

Rick was centered about 325 miles (525 kilometers) south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, one of the two towns that make up the municipality of Los Cabos.

At the beach-side SolMar resort in Cabo San Lucas, manager Silvia Carlos said the hotel was taking precautions, but had not evacuated guests.

"We are covering up windows in the entranceway and sealing doors," Carlos said. "The waves are starting to get high."

Rick also threatened to disrupt a major sport-fishing tournament scheduled to start Wednesday. About 800 sports fishermen were scheduled to gather for the Bisbee's Los Cabos tournament.

About 130 boats had been scheduled to set off into the Pacific on Wednesday — the day Rick is projected to hit, but tournament organizer Clicerio Mercado said the start of the event would be postponed in hopes fishing could resume Thursday or Friday.

Rick was already whipping Socorro Island, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Cabo San Lucas, where about 100 people from the Mexican Navy and other government agencies are based.

The mainland base that commands the detachment said Navy personnel on the island reported heavy winds and waves on Monday, but no damage or injuries.

Forecasters said Rick is likely to continue past the Baja peninsula and slam into Mexico's mainland somewhere near the resort city of Mazatlan by late Wednesday.

Rick was the second-strongest hurricane in the eastern North Pacific since 1966, when experts began keeping reliable records, Hurricane Center meteorologist Hugh Cobb said.

The strongest was Hurricane Linda, which generated maximum winds of 185 mph (296 kph) in September 1997.

Far out in the Pacific Ocean, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Neki formed about 825 miles (1,325 kilometers) south of Honolulu and about 830 miles (1,335 kilometers) southeast of Johnston Island.

Maximum winds were at about 40 mph (65 kph), though forecasters said Neki was expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Tuesday. The storm was moving west-northwest at about 14 mph (23 kph), but could shift to the northwest.

It was expected to pass near tiny Johnston Island as a hurricane, possibly by Wednesday.


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