Hurricane Pamela: Mexico declares an orange alert in several municipalities of Sinaloa

The hurricane pamela will make landfall on Wednesday in the southern state of Sinaloa, in the Pacific of Mexico, in category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, causing strong winds and rains, before which the National Meteorological Service (SMN) declared an orange alert (high danger) in several municipalities.

“The hurricane pamela can reach category 2 with winds of 154 to 177 kilometers per hour very close to the coast of Baja California Sur, Nayarit and Sinaloa. It is expected to change its direction to the northeast heading towards the center of Sinaloa”, Alejandra Méndez, coordinator of the SMN, explained in a press conference.

Concordia, Cosalá, Culiacán, Elota, Escuinapa, Mazatlán, Rosario, San Ignacio, Navolato are the municipalities of Sinaloa that are under orange alert, in which it is recommended that the inhabitants have located the temporary shelters that are near their home, store drinking water and food and have an emergency backpack.

Another 46 municipalities in Sinaloa (4), Baja California Sur (2), Durango (20) and Nayarit (20) are under yellow alert (medium danger).

On Sinaloa 40 shelters have been set up and in Nayarit and Durango 146 and 115 temporary shelters have been identified, respectively.

The coordinator said that, according to its direction of travel, the hurricane is forecast to make landfall on Wednesday morning between 6 a.m. local time (11 a.m. GMT) and 8 a.m. local time (1 p.m. GMT) between Culiacán and Mazatlán (Sinaloa). .

“The center of Hurricane Pamela, category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is located southwest of Sinaloa, while its wide circulation will cause very heavy rains with intense punctuals, very strong gusts of wind and high waves in Baja California Sur and in the west of the national territory “, detailed the SMN in its latest report.

At 1:00 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT), the cyclone is located 280 kilometers south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, in Baja California Sur, and 430 kilometers southwest of Mazatlán, in Sinaloa.

The phenomenon moves north at 13 kilometers per hour and registers sustained winds of 130 km / h with gusts of up to 155 km / h.

RAINS FROM INTENSE TO TORRENTIAL

The cyclone will cause very heavy rains with intense points in Baja California Sur and Sinaloa; very strong punctual rains in Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Nayarit and Jalisco, as well as punctual strong rains in Colima.

In addition to wind with gusts of 80 to 100 km / h and waves of 3 to 5 meters in the coasts of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa and Nayarit and wind with gusts of 60 to 70 km / h and waves of 3 to 5 meters in the coasts of Jalisco, reported the Meteorological.

“Intense to torrential rains are expected in municipalities of Sinaloa but also in the states of Durango, Nayarit, Jalisco and Baja California Sur, in addition to strong winds and high waves,” explained Méndez.

“The rains caused by the cyclone could cause landslides, an increase in the levels of rivers and streams and floods in low-lying areas,” warned the SMN.

For this reason, the agency asked the general population to take extreme precautions in the areas of the aforementioned states due to rain, wind and waves -including maritime navigation- and to comply with the recommendations issued by the Civil Protection authorities.

This year in the Pacific Ocean the cyclones Andrés, Blanca, Carlos, Dolores, Enrique, Felicia, Guillermo, Hilda, Ignacio, Jimena, Kevin, Linda, Marty, Nora, Olaf and Pamela have formed.

Dolores left three dead, Grace caused the death of at least eleven people in Veracruz and Puebla and Nora caused a minor to die in the state of Jalisco and seven disappeared.

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