June 1 (UPI) — Hurricane Agatha has killed at least 11 people and 20 are missing in southern Mexico, according to the governor of Oaxaca.
Gov. Alejandro Murat said at least five people had been swept away by rivers. Agatha struck Mexico’s Pacific coast Monday and triggered heavy rain, landslides and flooding.
“There were rivers that overflowed, and on the other hand, and the most serious part, were landslides,” Murat told local media.
Powerful hurricane
BBC News said when Agatha made landfall it was a Category 2 hurricane, making it the strongest to strike Mexico‘s Pacific coast since 1949. Mountainous areas were among the worst hit.
Agatha had sustained winds of around 105 mph when it made landfall, according to Accuweather.
In Agatha’s wake, meteorologists say there’s a high chance of the first tropical storm of the season forming from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula to around the Florida Peninsula.
“A highly likely solution is for moisture and residual energy from Agatha to give birth to a new storm system on the Atlantic side,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Courtney Travis said.
What’s next
According to the National Hurricane Center, Agatha now has a 70% chance of reforming into a tropical storm.
“The models aren’t in agreement just yet on where this will go or how it will develop,” Spectrum 13 meteorologist Maureen McCann said. “It could be a rainy weekend here in Florida, or it could miss us altogether. Either way this serves as a good reminder to be prepared for this storm or anything else that develops as we get into season.”
