Hurricane Simon moved along the west-central coast of Mexico on Sunday and Monday, bringing heavy rain and sustained winds that reached Category 4 strength. While the center of the storm remained mostly offshore, its outer bands affected coastal communities between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that the storm produced winds of up to 140 mph (220 kph) as it passed near Puerto Vallarta and Cabo Corrientes.
The impact follows several days of tropical weather systems that have resulted in five reported deaths in Mexico. In Baja California, four people died due to flooding and vehicle submersions linked to post-tropical cyclone Rachel, according to state Civil Protection Coordinator Ignacio Lozoya. In Guerrero state, Governor Evelyn Salgado reported that a 71-year-old man died when a wall collapsed in the city of Chilpancingo. As of Monday evening, six people remained missing in Baja California, including two fishers from San Felipe and four individuals in Ensenada.
Mexican authorities deployed approximately 14,000 federal and state personnel to assist with emergency responses in Baja California. In Jalisco state, officials suspended classes in 22 coastal municipalities and initiated evacuations in high-risk zones. The international airport in Puerto Vallarta suspended operations until Tuesday morning, while military helicopters rescued 32 people, including 22 foreign nationals, from a ranch in Ensenada after they became stranded by flooding.
In the United States, remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel and a separate weather system caused flooding across the Southwest. Las Vegas recorded 1.08 inches of rain through Sunday morning, tying an all-time daily record for October set in 1947. In Southern California, large waves damaged a boardwalk and homes in Long Beach, prompting some evacuations. In Utah, dozens of participants in the Moab 240 ultramarathon were evacuated after being stranded by rising waters.
Recovery efforts are also occurring in the U.S. Southeast following Hurricane Isaias. At least four deaths have been linked to Isaias, which came ashore as a Category 2 hurricane near Destin, Florida. Residents in affected Mexican states have been urged by President Claudia Sheinbaum to remain in shelters until formal government notifications declare the danger has passed. U.S. forecasters expect the current period of heavy precipitation in the West to conclude by Wednesday.