Strongest Hurricane ever recorded in Western Hemisphere

Story by Jake Howard

Currently Hurricane Patricia is spinning approximately 100 miles off the coast of mainland Mexico. A Category 5 storm, Patricia is packing 200-mph sustained winds with gusts reaching and upwards of 245 mph. It now holds the record for having the lowest pressure of any hurricane (894 millibars). This morning it also became the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere.

Patricia is currently moving north at 10 mph and is forecast to make landfall in the state of Jalisco tonight. Tracking north of Zihuatanejo and Acapulco, the eye of the storm is currently southwest of Manzanillo. A large and intense storm, the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero are in Patricia’s path. Authorities declared a state of emergency, and classes at schools in Jalisco and Colima were suspended. Flights to and from Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo were also suspended and the cities’ airports are closed. By the time the storm’s expect to hit Nayarit, half of the 15,000 tourists there will have been evacuated to the city of Guadalajara, Tourism Secretary Enrique de la Madrid said to Milenio TV

Authorities are prepping for widespread destruction and are calling for evacuations in all areas in the storm’s path. Patricia is forecasted to bring waves an upwards of 40 feet and and will likely dump eight to 12 inches of rain.

“Everything in the streets are going to turn into projectiles, so it’s very important that people seek shelter,” said Ricardo de La Cruz, director of civilian protection.

At this time our thoughts are with everyone in the path of Hurricane Patricia. A myriad of world-class surf spots will undoubtedly be effected, but considering the severity of the storm, everyone’s safety and well-being is what really matters.