Hurricane Dora weakens off Mexico's Pacific coast
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail
Xinhua, July 23, 2011
Hurricane Dora weakened on Friday off Mexico's Pacific coast, but authorities said five states still face risks of flooding and landslides because of torrential rains from the storm.
As of 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) Friday, the Category 4 hurricane had weakened to Category 1, with sustained winds up to 140 kilometers per hour, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Despite its weakening, Hurricane Dora is forecast to continue to create dangerous conditions as it passes along the coast, Mexico's National Meteorological Service (SMN) said.
Red alerts remain in place for Mexico's southern states of Chiapas and Gurrero and the central states of Michoacan, Nayarit and Colima, where week-long torrential rains have left soils saturated with water and ripe for flooding and landslides, SMN forecaster Alberto Hernandez said.
Hernandez said the danger index of Dora remained "strong" as water levels along the coast remained up to 8 meters above the normal levels.
Authorities have called on people in the coastal areas to exercise "extreme precaution" against wind, rain and waves.
There were no reports of casualties caused by Dora. But flooding and minor landslides have been reported in multiple locations in the southern states of Chiapas and Guerrero.
