MEXICO CITY — Javier Soto and his neighbors had just begun cleaning up flood and mudslide damage from the last hurricane when another major storm began brewing in the Pacific Ocean, once again threatening their community north of Puerto Vallarta. Ten hurricanes have formed in the eastern Pacific so far this year, the most since 2018. Meteorologists say a powerful El Niño and warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change have super charged the storms, which have lasted longer than usual and have sustained stronger winds than is typical.
The latest storm is Trudy, a Category 1 hurricane that was expected to pass Mexico’s southwestern coast on Sunday. Authorities from Guerrero to Nayarit warned that Trudy could strengthen, and said heavy rainfall could cause major damage because the ground is already saturated from previous storms. Residents on Mexico’s Pacific coastline are accustomed to powerful hurricanes.
But many say this year feels different because long-lasting storms have hit in quick succession, giving residents little chance to clean up and dry out. The famed resort town was hit by Hurricane Polo in late September and again by Hurricane Simon days later. As Trudy approached this week, Trejo and his staff found themselves once again boarding up their seaside cafe — while bracing themselves for lost income and potential damage.
Authorities said eight people were killed in Ensenada, a beach town just south of the U.S. border. Residents there say roads and beaches are still badly damaged, and that more government support is needed. In 2023, Mexico’s Pacific coast was hit by its most powerful storm on record, Otis, which slammed into Acapulco as a Category 5 hurricane after strengthening rapidly.
Meteorologists blamed its rapid growth on unseasonably warm ocean temperatures triggered by El Niño and human-caused climate change. Dozens of people were killed and Acapulco suffered billions of dollars in damage. Graciela Ramírez, a 49-year-old cook in Puerto Vallarta, said she worried that powerful storms were the new normal.
Her working-class neighborhood was badly damaged in earlier storms this year — with homes flooded and landslides wiping out streets. Now she and her family were packing their bags to go to a shelter to wait out Trudy.
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