Rick forecast to reach major hurricane strength before making landfall in Mexico
Hurricane Rick, which intensified overnight Friday from a tropical storm, is forecast to grow to major hurricane strength upon its expected landfall on Mexico's southwestern Pacific coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is the eighth named hurricane of the east Pacific season.
Rick is expected to reach Mexico's coast on Sunday and stay through Sunday night, the NHC said on Saturday. It is currently moving in a north-northwestward to northward motion and is expected to continue in that direction over the next few days. The storm's maximum sustained winds are approaching 85 miles per hour with even higher gusts, but its pace of strengthening has "slowed somewhat," forecasts said.
"Rick is expected to resume strengthening by tonight and become a major hurricane on Sunday," the NHC said.
Surrounding areas of Rick's expected landfall in southwest Mexico are expected to see significant coastal flooding from storm surge, along with "large and destructive waves" near the coast. Surf swells from the hurricane are forecast to produce life-threatening rip current and surf conditions. Heavy rainfall — an estimated 20 inches in total — is likely to create flash flooding and mudslides along the coast in Guerrero and Michoacan from Saturday through Tuesday.
The NHC issued a hurricane warning for Tecpan de Galeana to Punta San Telmo. Areas east of Tecpan de Daleana to Acapulco and west of Punta San Telmo to Manzanillo are under tropical storm warnings.
Residents in impacted areas are advised to consult products from local weather offices, follow advice from local officials and stay updated with the storm's forecast.
Hurricane Rick comes just weeks after Hurricane Pamela made landfall as a Category 1 storm along Mexico's western coast. Pamela, which was later downgraded to a tropical storm, was the 16th named tropical storm of the 2021 east Pacific hurricane season. Its remnants brought strong winds, heavy rains and flooding to parts of Texas.
