Hurricane Rick: Storm Becomes Category 5 Hurricane Off Mexico

MIAMI — Forecasters say Hurricane Rick is the strongest hurricane in the eastern north Pacific Ocean in more than a decade.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Rick turned into an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm on Saturday with sustained winds reaching 180 mph (285 kph).

At 11 p.m. EDT Saturday (0300 GMT Sunday), the storm's center was located about 295 miles (475 kilometers) south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

Forecasters say Rick should stay offshore for several days. Then the storm is forecast to curve east over cooler waters and approach the Baja California Peninsula, perhaps as a Category 2 hurricane, at midweek.

Hurricane Linda in September 1997 was the strongest eastern north Pacific storm with maximum 185 mph (296 kph) winds.

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 5 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast Saturday and forecasters said it could strike the Baja California Peninsula next week.

The storm had sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami reported, though it said the storm was likely to lose some of that punch before hitting land.

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

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.

Meteorologist Jessica Schauer told The Associated Press that warm waters fueled Rick's rapid jump from Category 1 just two days ago.

"Right now it's over very warm water and the current forecast track keeps it over warm water for quite awhile," 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 the outer bands of the storm could cause landslides and flooding in the resort city, but no such effects were reported Saturday.

Comments

[derrickhoyle]

I'm happy I had my cruise down there last October! This year would have been bumpy!

[aznurse]

I hope we get some rain here, everything is crispy dry.

[Durango]

Ill wind that blows no good.

Hurricanes from the Gulf of California are responsible for major snowpack in the Rockies, especially the biggest range the San Juans.

Makes for excellent early skiing in the past.

Hope it makes it this way.

[brady61995]

it looks nasty, you hear 20 to 30 deaths and think not too bad. its pretty bad for the 20 or 30 that die and their families.

[beyondliberal]

Once Rick hits the colder water of the Alaska Current well southwest of the California coast he will die very quickly. I agree--- there's nothing to see here; move along.
Surf's up on the south-facing beaches in SoCal!!

[Bryan Castille]

[nightwind928]

I have seen the devastation inflicted on the people of Mexico by hurricanes. In Costa Maya I saw the almost complete destruction of a small sea side community. But what struck me the most was the resilience of the people who were living in partially destroyed homes and shops. They were warm and friendly, not bitter and angry. They had so little and yet such tenacity to overcome what nature had dealt them. The Government of Mexico is poor and corrupt and does not give generously to victims like the United States does in time of disaster. These wonderful people were tirelessly working at every level to put their homes, town and lives back together by themselves. I felt humbled by them and came away with a new respect for the town of Costa Maya and the people of Mexico.

[KIVPossum]

The picture leading into this makes it seem a giant chili peppers is attacking Mexico.

[co-sine]

a todos en mexico...."que le vaya bien."

[Pem3]

Well that explains the weird weather the last few days, that is a big one.

[dogman44]

Where you located?

[Bryan Castille]

[Mogamboguru]

Yes.

[blueskybigstar]

fuuny

[Mogamboguru]

El Nino is giving in abundance this year.

Take good care of yourself, folks.

Godspeed.

[ThisIsAllJustADream]

this is an el nino year, so the hurricanes are bigger. good news for us in so cal. we need the rain.

[Mogamboguru]

If it only wasn't all at once...

[VikingQuest]

Seems to have been a lot of quiet years since Katrina for hurricane season . . . despite all the poor predictions from all the "experts" . . . which usually means one of these years we're going to see a bunch of big ones to make up for the lack of them lately.

[Gasparilla]

This has been a quiet hurricane season, but others since Katrina have not been. Cuba and Haiti were hit hard last year. Just because it's not the US doesn't mean anything.

[toddincabo]

Thank you to all concerned with us here in Mexico

[Mogamboguru]

De nada.