Remnants of Tropical Storm “Trudy” dump heavy rain and cause deadly landslides in Mexico
Featured image: Remnants of Tropical Storm "Trudy" over Mexico. Image credit: NASA Aqua/MODIS. Acquired October 19, 2014.
Tropical Storm "Trudy" formed about 140 km southwest of Mexico on Friday and made landfall about 125 km east of Acapulco on Saturday morning (local time), October 18, 2014.
Trudy had maximum sustained winds of around 100 km/h (62 mph) when it hit. A sharp weakening followed and Trudy was downgraded to a tropical depression. However, heavy rain and landslides that followed claimed lives of 6 people.
"The heavy rains caused a landslide on a farm in the indigenous town of Tlacoachistlahuaca in the southern state of Guerrero, killing a 23-year-old man, a civil protection official told local media. Two children and a woman were crushed to death when a wall collapsed in a mudslide in Ometepec; another person was buried in Cochoapa by a caved-in wall; and a swollen stream swept away and killed a 70-year-old man, officials said." (AFP)
Life-threatening flash floods and landslides are possible over the next few days, especially across the hilly and mountainous areas.
The remnants of the storm are expected to produce as much as 150 to 300 mm of rain. It is possible that some isolated spots along the Pacific coast, including the Acapulco area as well as the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca in southern Mexico, might see as much as 500 mm.
This year’s Pacific hurricane season has been the most active since 1992 with 21 named storms, 15 hurricanes and 9 of which became major hurricanes (Category 3 or above on the Saffir-Simpson scale).
In an average season there will be around 16 named storms, 9 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes. With six weeks left to run, there is still a chance of even more storms before the season ends on the 30 November. (AlJazeera)
Two tropical storms battered both coasts of Mexico last year and left 157 people dead. In September 2014, Hurricane "Odile" slammed Mexico's Pacific coast and claimed lives of 6 people.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.