Two deaths reported as Hurricane Simon, storm Rachel batter Mexico’s coast

Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel batter Mexico's Pacific coast, causing flooding and damage, resulting in at least two deaths and multiple missing persons.

The full report

At least two people have died in Mexico after Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel brought torrential rain and catastrophic flooding to Pacific coast communities. According to Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado, a 71-year-old man died during Hurricane Simon after a retaining wall collapsed under the weight of intense precipitation. The man, identified by his family as Albino Moreno Jimenez, had been feeding his animals on the western outskirts of Chilpancingo when a wall came crashing down on him.

A second death was announced later in the day in the state of Baja California along Mexico’s western coast. Governor Marina del Pilar said that a young girl had died from the effects of what was once Hurricane Rachel, which peaked in early October as a Category 3 storm. At least 10 more people remain missing in Baja California, according to the governor.

The storms have caused significant damage and disruption, with officials warning of the potential for life-threatening flooding and mudslides. Heavy rainfall associated with Simon in west-central Mexico over the next few days might still produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Waves of up to five metres high were still expected in some coastal areas.

The El Niño phenomenon, characterised by rising water temperatures in the Pacific, is fuelling a more intense hurricanes this season in the region. Meteorologists say the 2026-27 El Niño, which causes global changes in winds and rainfall as well as erratic weather conditions, is certain to be the biggest ever recorded. Scientists now also think human-caused global heating is making El Niños more intense.

Reporting status

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