CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico Powerful Hurricane Genevieve approached Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, threatening to bring tropical storm force winds to parts of the area even if its center wasn’t likely to hit land.
The Category 3 storm is expected to pass near the southern portion of the peninsula on Wednesday night and Thursday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
“Theres nothing for left for us to do, but take the boat to a safe place, said Elio Lpez as he pulled his small boat out of the water in Cabo San Lucas ahead of the storms arrival. Officials had already closed the port.
The hurricane center said Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph) Tuesday night and was centered about 240 miles (390 kilometers) south-southeast of the southern tip of the Baja peninsula. It was moving to the northwest at 10 mph (17 kph).
More than 10,000 families live in flood-prone informal settlements in homes of wood and cardboard in Cabo San Lucas, areas that usually have to be evacuated when storms approach.
In one such neighborhood, El Caribe, residents appeared calm Tuesday. They haven’t told us anything, but if there’s strong wind it’s going to take the roof off the house, said Flor Jurez, who moved to the area three years from the southern state of Guerrero.
Along the tourist areas in Cabo San Lucas, the streets were semi-empty, but it has been that way for some time. Most of the tourist-oriented businesses remain closed due to the pandemic.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the peninsula from Los Barriles to Puerto Cortes.
Los Cabos municipal civil defense director Erick Santilln said as the storm neared that officials would decide whether to open shelters. It’s not going to hit us, but it will give us water and strong winds, he said. We’re already making preparations.
The storm was expected to spread 1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10 centimeters) of water over parts of Baja California Sur state as it advances roughly parallel to the coast.
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