PUERTO VALLALTA, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Simon slammed into Mexico’s Pacific coast as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, with its eye still offshore, pummeling people who live between the Sierra Madre Mountains and the ocean with its strongest winds and rain.
The center of the hurricane is spinning parallel to the coast, approaching the Puerto Vallarta area, with the most damaging winds and rain expected to hit around midnight and continue into Monday morning. The National Hurricane Center said it was unclear whether the hurricane would make landfall, which could allow it to maintain dangerous intensity and sustain winds of 140 mph (220 kph).
That’s not good news for people in and around Puerto Vallarta, a popular tourist destination in Jalisco state. Just inland and on the hillsides of resort areas, many Mexican communities live in homes that may not be able to withstand the storm.
By noon Sunday, Simon’s Eye was moving within about 65 miles (100 kilometers) of Cape Corrientes at about 7 mph (11 kph). Hurricane center senior specialist Philip Papin said the westernmost tip of mainland Mexico is the area most likely to be directly hit by the hurricane system. Cabo Corrientes is located at the southern end of Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta’s wide bay overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
On October 11, 2026, Hurricane Simon approached the Pacific coast of Mexico. Waves hit the seaside, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Manzanillo, Mexico. Photograph: Daniel Becerril/Reuters.
Hurricane-force winds can extend up to 25 miles (35 kilometers) from Simon’s center, and tropical storm-force winds can reach 80 miles (130 kilometers), meaning the entire area between Mexico’s west coast and the Sierra Madre Mountains could be affected.
“We expect catastrophic winds and life-threatening storm surge impacts along the west-central Mexican coast where hurricane warnings are currently in effect,” Papin said. “Heavy rainfall from the storm could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides along higher areas of the Mexican coastline, as well as severe surf.”
Meanwhile, the hurricane brought rain to parts of southwestern Mexico. Many locations could see 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of rain, with up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) in parts of Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco.
As the storm approached Puerto Vallarta, National Guard vehicles patrolled the streets and police used loudspeakers to call out to the few people jogging, walking their dogs or biking along the beachfront. Officials reminded people that the area was closed and urged them to take shelter. Not everyone follows orders.
Jalisco state suspended schools in 22 coastal cities on Friday and Monday and began evacuating people from risk areas, while asking tourism authorities to ensure workers and tourists are fully housed in shelters or safe zones.
Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum took to social platform She also asked people to follow the advice of civil protection officials and avoid traveling on public roads.
“Precautionary evacuations to safe areas are underway; the first priority is our safety,” she wrote.
On Sunday afternoon, restaurant worker Victor Martinez went to buy non-perishable food. He said he was unable to go to work because public transport services were suspended and most of the hotel had been evacuated.
Martinez finds concern about hurricanes comforting.
“This has happened to us before. It hit us years ago,” Martinez said, referring to the Category 5 hurricane that hit the region in 2002. “People weren’t expecting it. We highly doubted it was going to hit us. But now, we’re different. We’re taking precautions. It happened to us once and we’re not going to let it happen again.”
Despite the risks Simon poses, tourists are still arriving in Puerto Vallarta.
Tourists Ricardo Ramirez and Brenda Villarreal, who had never experienced a hurricane, were looking for food on the city’s boardwalk and encountered police urging people to take shelter. Ramirez said they were completely unprepared for the situation.
“The boardwalk is closed. Be responsible. Understand!” police told passers-by over a loudspeaker.
Ramirez said he and Villarreal had been planning the four-day vacation since last year, departing from Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state.
“We don’t know the extent of the danger yet,” Villarreal said. “We’re just beginning to understand what’s going on.”
A free press is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy.
Support trustworthy journalism and civil dialogue.