Hurricane Lidia, which struck near Puerto Vallarta as a Category 4 storm on Wednesday, has dissipated. The hurricane brought winds up to 140 mph (220 kph), causing significant damage.
Trees were uprooted, roofs were torn off houses, and one person was killed by a falling tree. Two others sustained injuries.
Laura Velázquez, head of Mexico’s civil defense, reported the fatality occurred on Puerto Vallarta’s northern outskirts.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center noted that Lidia’s winds had weakened to 35 mph (55 kph) by Wednesday, as it dissipated about 145 miles (235 km) north-northeast of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city and capital of Jalisco state.
Tropical Storm Sean forms in the Atlantic but is expected to weaken further.Lidia made landfall on Cabo Corrientes, a sparsely populated peninsula, on Tuesday with winds of 105 mph (165 kph) before moving inland south of Puerto Vallarta.
Despite weakening, the hurricane continued to impact the region, temporarily blocking some highways. Jalisco state opened 23 shelters, and Puerto Vallarta reported that a few dozen people sought refuge there.
This storm followed Tropical Storm Max, which hit the southern Pacific coast and caused part of a coastal highway in Guerrero to wash out. In 2015, Hurricane Patricia, a Category 5 storm, also made landfall in the same coastal area between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo.
Victor Hugo Romo, Jalisco’s civil defense chief, reported extensive roof damage to homes near the landfall site, while Puerto Vallarta experienced several fallen trees. Neighboring Nayarit state also saw tree damage.
On Wednesday, Tropical Storm Sean formed in the Atlantic. With winds of 40 mph (65 kph), it was located about 725 miles (1,170 km) west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, moving west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph). The Hurricane Center forecasts that Sean will likely weaken to a tropical depression without affecting land.