Puerto Vallarta faces rain, flood and mudslide risks

Heavy rainfall can cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain, while forecast rain raises the risk of overflowing rivers and streams.

Puerto Vallarta is among the municipalities with the greatest exposure during Simon’s passage, and it is located in Costa Norte.

Puerto Vallarta’s Zona Romántica retains part of its usual activity.

Visitors and residents use the day to walk through its streets and enjoy its attractions, and some visitors continue walking around the area despite preventive notices.

Jalisco is expected to receive intense rainfall of 100 to 200 millimeters, especially in Costa Sur, the Sur region, Sierra Occidental, Sierra de Amula and Costa Norte.

A separate 75-to-150-millimeter range applies specifically to areas of western Jalisco and southwestern Nayarit, not to all of Jalisco and Nayarit.

These are regional forecasts rather than measurements recorded at individual beaches or locations in Puerto Vallarta.

The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional and Comisión Nacional del Agua began monitoring three low-pressure areas in the Pacific Ocean with potential for cyclonic development within seven days.

The report on the three low-pressure areas was released Tuesday, September 15, at 18:00.

The first area is geographically closest to the coasts of Jalisco and has the highest risk among the three monitored systems.

The second system has a 30 percent probability of cyclonic development during the next seven days and is located in the Gulf of California, 125 kilometers south-southeast of Guaymas, Sonora.

The third system is forecast to be southwest of the Baja California peninsula.

The forecast covers the Ciénega, Norte, Centro, Valles, Sur, Sureste, Sierra Occidental, Sierra de Amula, Costa Norte and Costa Sur regions.

In Mexico, the Pacific tropical cyclone season began on May 15, and the 2026 tropical cyclone season officially ends on November 30 in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

September and October are the months with the most cyclones according to the cited Conagua document, and the forecast projected four or five Pacific hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.

A single cyclone is enough to cause damage regardless of how active the season is overall.

For Puerto Vallarta and the Jalisco coast, people were advised to consult Civil Protection and SMN notices.

Authorities recommend that people living on the coast, including in Puerto Vallarta, avoid approaching the sea and flood-prone areas.

Protección Civil recommends not crossing streams during episodes of heavy rain.

Check official notices before going to the sea, and avoid streams during heavy rain.