Hurricane Blanca became the second named storm of the season, and the earliest Category-4 on record, but the energy just wasn’t available to sustain strength.
Just 24-hours earlier, forecasts had predicted Hurricane Blanca to strengthen to a category-5 and make landfall as a major hurricane along the Baja Peninsula. Mother nature had other plans as Blanca weakened rapidly this morning.
On Thursday morning at 10 AM the storm was downgraded to a Category-2. The storm is making a slow turn east and is expected to make landfall along the Baja Peninsula with the possibility of strengthening slightly before making landfall as a category-1 or strong tropical storm.
The news of a weaker Blanca was well-received by authorities in Puerto Vallarta and throughout the coastal region of the State of Jalisco who have been monitoring the storm’s development.
“We continue to monitor the situation, patrolling, and alerting the most vulnerable areas of our state, including the Sierra areas and back into Puerto Vallarta,” said the State Director of Civil Protection.
“While we would not expect more than some light rain in the area, it is important that we monitor the situation and the public remain informed, as we have seen weather changes quickly.”
Municipalities of Tomatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo Corrientes, especially in the part of the mountains, will remain under continued monitoring for any changes in weather.
Less than nine months ago, Category 3 Hurricane Odile plowed into Mexico’s southern Baja peninsula, including popular tourist destinations in Los Cabos.
Odile was the strongest hurricane strike the region had taken since 1989 and tied the strongest landfall of record, there. Over $1 billion (12 billion pesos) in insured losses was attributed to Odile.
Now, the southern Baja peninsula lies in the forecast path for Blanca.
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