Hurricane Patricia: Category 5 Hurricane Heads To Mexico

Hurricane Patricia is expected to stump over Mexico and its neighboring islands on Friday, according to experts. Tropical Storm Patricia, which became a hurricane overnight with 130 mph winds, will likely strengthen in the upcoming hours and may potentially hit Texas.

Hurricane Patricia, a Category 5 storm, is projected to make landfall in Mexico by Friday afternoon, according to the experts from the U.S. National Hurricane Center. According to the center, Hurricane Patricia, which became a Category 4 storm overnight, has been moving toward the west-northwest at 17 mph and has maximum sustained winds of about 130 miles per hour.

As of Thursday, 4 PM, the monster category 4 hurricane was located 250 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico, or about 355 miles south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico. Patricia might cause flooding, mudslides in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA called the hurricane “extremely dangerous” and issued a warning to residents and tourists in those areas – especially to those vacationing in Puerto Vallarta. NOAA said:

“Patricia is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches, over the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero later today into Saturday. These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides.”

The Mexican government has begun taking actions to help its citizens survive the natural disaster by opening numerous shelters. Officials have contacted people living in the areas where the eye of the hurricane is set to hit. After smashing over Mexico, Patricia is expected to bring torrential rains to Texas and Oklahoma:

“Patricia will compound an ongoing heavy rain episode in Texas being driven by the approach of a strong upper-level low…. a cluster of heavy storms covered most of western Oklahoma at midday, extending into the west half of North Texas. This slow-moving area is expected to stall tonight and Friday over northern Texas, producing a stripe of rainfall that could total 6” – 8”. The Dallas-Fort Worth area could end up within this belt of heaviest rain.”

Read more about Hurricane Patricia’s projected path here, it has now grown to a category 5 hurricane.