Hurricane Polo brings rain, waves to Jalisco

Reports differed on Hurricane “Polo”’s strength: one placed it at Category 5, while another placed it at Category 4.

At 21:00, Hurricane “Polo” remained at Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Polo was located 480 kilometers southeast of Manzanillo, Colima. Its circulation was expected to produce wind gusts of 40 to 60 km/h along Jalisco’s coast, although those gusts were expected to decrease during the night. A direct impact from the hurricane on Jalisco was not expected.

The forecast called for heavy to very heavy rain in Sierra Occidental, Sierra de Amula, Costa Sur, and Costa. Jalisco was forecast to receive heavy to very heavy rains from Wednesday through Saturday. In the coming hours, Polo’s broad circulation was expected to generate 50 to 75 millimeters of very heavy rain in southern Jalisco. Rainfall estimates differed: one forecast put totals between 100 and 150 millimeters, while another said totals in those areas could exceed 250 millimeters by Saturday.

Along the coast, waves of 2 to 3 meters were forecast off Jalisco, while the official forecast included swell and storm surge on Jalisco’s coast from Wednesday night through Thursday. Waves of 3 to 4 meters were forecast in Cihuatlán from Wednesday to Thursday. Waves of 7 to 9 meters were expected in Michoacán and Guerrero, where the hurricane’s most severe effects were expected to be concentrated. Hurricane “Polo” caused the preventive closure of several ports in the Mexican Pacific.

The Jalisco State Civil Protection and Firefighters Unit was maintaining preventive and operational actions in response to possible risks arising from the hurricane, with its operational presence strengthened in regions that could be affected. Four command posts were installed in Tomatlán, El Grullo, Talpa de Allende, and Cabo Corrientes. Operational personnel were stationed in the Costa Sur Region, including a presence in Cihuatlán. The unit’s objective was to respond promptly to any impact in the state, and it maintained permanent coordination meetings with the State Emergency Committee.

Civil Protection Jalisco recommended that families with relatives on the state’s coast, in Colima, or in Michoacán have their emergency backpack ready and keep their documents readily available. It also recommended following only official notices from the National Meteorological Service and Civil Protection Jalisco as the storm evolved. According to the Secretaría de Marina, the phenomenon had generated elevated waves in some parts of the country. The suspension of in-person classes was intended to allow communities to organize and carry out prevention plans if necessary. The Jalisco government had not ordered an evacuation in at-risk communities at that time.

Civil Protection recommended that residents avoid flooded areas.