Hurricane Polo Brings 8 Inches of Rain to Mexico's Pacific Coast as Flood Risk Mounts

Q: What hidden coastal hazards make Hurricane Polo incredibly dangerous even without a direct landfall?

Hurricane Polo is highly dangerous even without landfall because its offshore position can still send deadly ocean hazards and repeated rainbands onto Mexico’s Pacific coast. The biggest hidden coastal threat is surf. The National Hurricane Center warned that swells generated by Polo can produce life-threatening breakers, rip currents and coastal flooding well away from the storm’s center. Those currents can pull swimmers out to sea even when skies near the beach do not look severe, and large rogue waves can strike beaches, ports and seawalls with little warning. Rough seas also threaten fishing boats, ferries and coastal infrastructure. Another major risk is that Polo is moving slowly and tracking close enough to shore for its outer bands to repeatedly sweep the same coastline. That raises the chance of flash flooding, overflowing streams and saturated hillsides giving way. In Guerrero and Michoacán, where steep terrain rises quickly from the coast, heavy rain can turn into mudslides and debris flows even if the hurricane’s eye never crosses land. Tropical-storm-force winds can also reach shore because the wind field extends far beyond the center. Those winds can topple weak structures, drive water onto beaches and worsen surf conditions. In short, Polo does not need a direct hit to be destructive: dangerous swells, rip currents, rogue waves, coastal flooding, heavy rain and landslides are enough to make it a serious coastal emergency.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 23

Rainbands from Hurricane Polo reached Mexico's Pacific coast on Wednesday, with the storm expected to stay offshore but track close to southwestern Mexico for the next day or two.
Guerrero and Michoacan could receive 3 to 8 inches of rain through Thursday, while Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco also face life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
Polo weakened to Category 4 after earlier reaching Category 5, but the National Hurricane Center said it still carries 155 mph sustained winds and should remain a major hurricane for days.
Mexico activated command posts in Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Guerrero, coordinating inspections, shelter preparation and possible preventive evacuations along the Pacific coast.