Grace rapidly intensified into a major hurricane before making landfall in Mexico

Hurricane "Grace" rapidly intensified before making landfall south of Tuxpan, Mexico at 06:00 UTC on August 21, 2021, with maximum sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph), just below Category 4 on the Saffir Simpson hurricane wind scale.

At the time, Grace's center was located about 50 km (30 miles) SSE of Tuxpan and about 185 km (115 miles) NNW of Veracruz, Mexico. The storm was moving W at 17 km/h (10 mph) with a minimum central pressure of 962 hPa.¹

Severe flooding and mudslides caused by the storm left at least 8 people dead, including 6 from the same family, authorities reported.

Seven fatalities were confirmed in Xalapa, Veracruz state capital, and one in Poza Rica.

Local television showed severe flooding in the capital after the nearby Actopan River burst its banks.

Grace smashed windows, downed trees, power cables and telegraph poles, leaving debris strewn around Tecolutla, though there were no human casualties, local authorities said.²

Mexico's national power utility reported 565 000 customers were left without power.

Grace weakened into a disturbance by 21:00 UTC on August 22.

References:

¹ BULLETIN – Hurricane Grace Intermediate Advisory Number 31A – NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL072021 – 100 AM CDT Sat Aug 21 2021

² Hurricane Grace unleashes severe flooding in Mexico, killing eight – Reuters

Featured image: Hurricane "Grace" at 00:00 UTC on August 21, 2021. Credit: NOAA/GOES-East, RAMMB/CIRA, TW