Hurricane Orlene made landfall on Mexico’s Pacific coast on Monday near the resort town of Mazatlán.
Power cables swayed in the wind and sent cascades of sparks through the town of El Rosario, about 65 kilometers south of Mazatlán, near where the storm hit.
Orlene lost some power while flying over the former penal colony of Islas Marias, which is being turned into a tourist attraction. The main island is sparsely populated, mostly government employees, and most buildings are made of brick and cement.
Winds from the hurricane had eased to 140 km/h when it made landfall 75 kilometers southeast of Mazatlán on Monday morning, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Officials report no immediate damage, but classes have been suspended and ports closed. Emergency shelters have been opened.
A hurricane warning was in effect between San Blas and Mazatlán.
The state government of Jalisco, where Puerto Vallarta is located, suspended classes Monday morning in towns and villages along the coast.
Orlene could dump up to 25 centimeters of rain in some places. Coastal flooding and dangerous waves are also possible.
The ports of Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta were closed to ships. The Mexican Navy has announced that ports — including Mazatlán, San Blas, and Nuevo Vallarta — are closed to small craft.
A Mexican government agency has warned that Orlene could cause “mudslides, rising rivers and streams, and flooding in low-lying areas.”
The US center said hurricane-force winds were felt about 30 kilometers from the eye, and tropical-storm-force winds about 110 kilometers away.
Early Sunday, Orlene was a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour but was downgraded to a category 1 on landfall.
