Hurricane Simon hits Mexico after storms kill 6

The death toll from Hurricane Simon and the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel rose to six Tuesday after heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides along Mexico's Pacific coast, authorities said. Hurricane Simon continued moving slowly off Mexico's Pacific coast as a Category 1 storm, bringing heavy rain to Nayarit and Sinaloa states, where authorities remained on alert for rising rivers and flooding. Over the weekend, the hurricane brought heavy rain to the southern state of Guerrero, killing one person.

While the eye of the hurricane remained offshore, its outer bands slammed communities this week between the Sierra Madre and the Pacific Ocean near Puerto Vallarta. Simon's 90 mph strongest sustained winds made it a Category 1 storm, but the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said it had technically become a small tropical cyclone.

Simon was 115 miles west of Cabo Corrientes and heading west at 2 mph. The hurricane center said the storm's intensity could fluctuate over the next few days but would likely maintain hurricane strength through Thursday, with gradual weakening forecast thereafter. Up to 3 inches of rain are expected from Simon across the Mexican states of Baja California Sur, Nayarit and Sinaloa by Friday, the weather service said.

Moisture associated with Simon is forecast to bring the potential for flash flooding from this evening through Friday morning to parts of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, according to CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. Rainfall could total 6 inches and perhaps 8 in some spots. In Mexico's Baja California state, rescuers on Monday combed parts of the coastal city of Ensenada, where floodwaters swept away vehicles and damaged homes.

At least four people died in the state due to the impact of post-tropical cyclone Rachel. Resident Johana Nuriulu said the flooding began during the night, shortly after heavy rain knocked out electricity. "We heard a loud noise that sounded like ocean waves, but really loud," she said.

Nuriulu said she went outside and discovered that a nearby stream had overflowed, sending water rushing through the neighborhood. The waters inundated streets and homes, sweeping away vehicles and other belongings. "Everything was being dragged away," Nuriulu said.