MEXICO CITY — Another storm strengthened into a Category 2 cyclone off Mexico's Pacific coast on Thursday morning at the same time northern Mexico and parts of the U.S. Southwest were reeling from flooding and damage from the remnants of Hurricane Polo earlier this week.
Hurricane Rachel was located about 230 miles (370 kilometers) off the southern tip of Baja California on Thursday, chugging forward at 6 mph (9 kph) as a powerful hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. The center reported winds of 105 mph (165 kph).
Rachel was projected to move along the Mexican coastline before veering west in the Pacific.
Mexican authorities said Thursday that, as Hurricane Rachel moves across the Pacific, they remain on alert because of forecasts of very heavy rain in the states of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, and Jalisco, and the possibility of landslides, rising river levels, overflowing rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.
On Wednesday night, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico warned U.S. citizens in Cabos San Lucas, a popular vacation destination for Americans, of beach and port closures and deadly rip currents.
The Pacific has seen an unusually busy hurricane season, which experts have attributed to El Niño, which has fueled crippling droughts in Mexico and Central America and floods in other parts of the region. In the Pacific, it has resulted in warmer waters and wind patterns that act as fodder for hurricanes. Tropical Storm Nolo continued its northwest approach away from Hawaii on Thursday, though the National Weather Service said it could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend.
Storm remnants drench central U.S.
The region from eastern Colorado to northern Illinois, along with parts of Texas and Oklahoma, was still under flood watch Thursday as storm remnants continued to batter the region, flooding streets and neighborhoods and setting off water rescues.
Wednesday was the wettest day on record for Lincoln, Nebraska, which received 6.1 inches of rainfall, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Climate Office. In Omaha, which received 4.7 inches of rain Wednesday, the fire department said it responded to 80 water rescues over a three-hour period ending early Thursday. Some floodwaters reached depths of 8 feet.
In Chicago, a wastewater treatment and stormwater management utility urged residents to conserve water use to prevent flooding and stormwater backup.
“We encourage everyone to conserve water when possible to create more capacity in our systems,” utility President Kari K. Steele said in a statement Wednesday.
In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly issued an emergency proclamation on Wednesday ahead of the storms that allows state resources to assist first responders in hard-hit communities.