Pacific Moisture Soaks Central US Amid New Hurricane Formation
Remnants of past storms contribute to heavy rainfall across the Plains, while Hurricane Rachel strengthens offshore Mexico.
Pacific moisture is bringing significant rainfall to parts of the central United States, while a new hurricane, Rachel, has formed off the coast of Mexico. The wet weather pattern is consistent with an El Niño year, which typically sees above-average Pacific storm activity.
In New Mexico, areas that had been suffering from prolonged drought are now experiencing standing water. The Rio Grande, which had been dry in many stretches, is reportedly overflowing. National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Lundeen described standing water in fields and near some homes, with one small dam being overtopped.
Rainfall totals of up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) were reported from Colorado across the Great Plains to Iowa on Tuesday and Wednesday, with some locations receiving even more. Texas and Oklahoma are also anticipating more storms after a system in Amarillo, Texas, flooded streets and produced a tornado Tuesday night. Storm totals in the Amarillo area exceeded 3.5 inches (9 centimeters).
This deluge is partly due to the remnants of previous tropical systems, including Hurricane Polo, which made landfall on the Baja California peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane before moving further inland. In Mexico, the bodies of three people, including two children and their mother, were found Sunday in Talpa de Allende, Jalisco state, after they went missing due to river flooding prior to Polo's landfall. The father remains missing. Separately, a tourist is missing in Puerto Vallarta due to strong waves, though this incident is not believed to be linked to Hurricane Polo.
Mexican authorities are maintaining alerts for the states of Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco due to Hurricane Rachel. In Jalisco, schools in 30 municipalities were closed on Wednesday as a precautionary measure.
Rachel was located approximately 380 miles (615 kilometers) west of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, and was moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph). Forecasters anticipate it will turn west-northwest and west later in the week, moving away from mainland Mexico and passing south of the Baja California peninsula. The hurricane's maximum sustained winds were around 85 mph (140 kph), and it is expected to strengthen, potentially becoming a major hurricane with winds over 111 mph (178 kph), though it poses no threat to land.
The National Hurricane Center advised that while the Mexican government has lifted coastal watches and warnings, isolated rainfall totals of up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) and heavy surf are still possible along the coasts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco states. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 25 miles (35 kilometers) from Rachel's center, with tropical-storm-force winds extending much further.
In the central Pacific, Tropical Storm Nolo, formerly a hurricane, brought heavy rain to parts of Hawaii's Big Island over the weekend and threatened dangerous conditions for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.