Hurricane Roslyn makes landfall in Mexico, might weaken before hitting Texas

Winds in Roslyn had decreased from their peak of 130 mph to 70 mph (110 kph) by Sunday morning. Roslyn was located roughly 55 miles (90 km) south-southeast of the northern city of Durango, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

The hurricane was travelling 20 mph (31 kph) north-northeast and was predicted to weaken even more as it moved more inland. Before reaching Texas, Roslyn may develop into a tropical depression, according to the centre.

Roslyn didn’t land directly, but it still caused Puerto Vallarta torrential rain and big waves. Ocean surges tore up the oceanfront promenade.

In about the same location as Hurricane Orlene’s impact on 3 October, Roslyn made landfall in the state of Nayarit.

About 90 miles (150 kilometres) north of Puerto Vallarta, the hurricane made landfall close to the fishing community of San Blas, close to the village of Santa Cruz.

A San Blas resident who was reached by phone said there had been no significant damage there.

Roslyn blew down trees and flooded some streets in Tepic, the state capital of Nayarit. Authorities ordered residents to stay inside on Sunday as workers cleared a landslide that had closed a nearby highway.

According to the Federal Electricity Commission, the storm caused power outages in over 150,000 residences. By Sunday noon, electricity had been restored to around one-third of those clients.

In the meantime, beachfront restaurants in Puerto Vallarta where visitors had lunched carelessly on Saturday were deserted on Sunday morning, and at some, the waves had washed away fences and tiny thatched huts that often keep customers’ faces out of the sun.

Adrián Bobadilla, the director of the state civil defence agency for the region surrounding Puerto Vallarta, stated that while officials were scouring the area, no significant damage had yet been discovered.

“The biggest effect was from the waves, on some of the beachside infrastructure,” said Bobadilla. “We did not have any significant damage.”

When the big waves threw up a giant sea turtle on the beach, the state civil defence agency posted video of officers taking it back to the water.

The National Water Commission and the US Hurricane Center also issued warnings that heavy rains from Roslyn might result in flash flooding and landslides over the inland region’s rocky terrain.

(With inputs from AP)