Skyline Dub

In just 24 hours, Patricia went from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane and the strongest storm ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. It has now been downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 2 storm, after making landfall Friday (October 23, 2015) at approximately 6:15 p.m. CDT (2315 UTC) along the coast of southwestern Mexico, in the Cuixmala area of the state of Jalisco. Landfall was 55 miles (85 km) west-northwest of the city of Manzanillo, Mexico’s busiest port. Patricia hit the coast with winds of 165 mph (265 kph). Mexico’s president President Enrique Pena Nieto said Patricia had so far caused less damage than feared, but warned that it still poses a threat of floods and landslides as it brings heavy rain to parts of the country. He said: The first reports confirm that the damages have been minor to those corresponding to a hurricane of this magnitude. Nonetheless, it is very important that the population stays in the shelters, the security forces will be patrolling to protect their homes. I repeat, we still can’t let our guard down. It will likely take several days to find out exactly what kind of damage occurred along the Mexico coast as one of the most powerful hurricanes in our lifetimes made landfall. People will likely need food, water, shelter, and medical assistance. A hurricane’s powerful winds are only one of its dangerous aspects. Storm surge and flooding are other factors. The National Weather Service (NWS) said of Patricia: Residents in low-lying areas near the coast in the hurricane warning area should evacuate immediately, since the storm surge could be catastrophic. NWS added that rainfall of 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) — and possibly 20 inches (half a meter) in some spots: … could produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.