Hurricane Lane slams into Mexico's Pacific coast
Pastor Dale Morgan
Hurricane Lane slams into Mexico's Pacific coast*
MEXICO CITY, Sept 17 (AFP) Sep 17, 2006
Hurricane Lane, packing gale-force winds and driving rain, slammed into
the Pacific coast of Mexico late Saturday, causing flooding in the port
of Mazatlan and other parts of the region, officials said.
The hurricane came ashore near the Villamoros Peninsula and the town of
Culiacan as a major Category Three storm on the five-category
Saffir-Simpson scale, but quickly weakened and was downgraded to
Category One.
At 0300 GMT Sunday, Lane was packing maximum sustained winds near 140
kilometers (85 miles) per hour, with higher gusts, said the US National
Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami.
The eye of the hurricane was now located about 50 kilometers (30 miles)
north-northwest of the city of Culiacan and 240 kilometers (150 miles)
north-northwest of Mazatlan, a key port and tourist resort, the NHC said.
Lane was moving toward the north at near 13 kilometers (eight miles) per
hour and was expected to further weaken over land Sunday.
Mexico's interior ministry warned of heavy rains, intense winds and
threats of flooding and mudslides.
"Recreation and fishing should be suspended in the area," the Mexican
statement said.
About 100 people were due to be evacuated in Mazatlan due to flooding in
low lying areas, said Alfredo Galaviz, a local civil protection official.
Two rivers that empty into the sea there have breached their banks, but
no casualties were reported.
The states of Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit on the west coast were
expected to feel the brunt of Lane, and to a lesser degree Sinaloa and
Baja California Sur.
A hurricane warning remained in effect for the Pacific coast of Mexico
from Mazatlan to Altata, the NHC said.