Historic Hurricane Agatha touched down in Mexico's southern coast Monday as heavy storm surges and driving rains prompted fears of killer flooding and mudslides.
Agatha made landfall about 5 miles west of Puerto Angel as a strong Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. It was moving northeast at 8 mph.
Agatha will be the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in May in the eastern Pacific. Up to 20 inches of rain was forecast for some areas.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
"Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves," warned National Weather Service hurricane specialist John Cangialosi, and deeper into Mexico, "life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides may occur."
AccuWeather meteorologists said Agatha, as it crosses Mexico and enters the Bay of Campeche in the next few days, could redevelop into the Atlantic basin's first named storm.
In Oaxaca, heavy rains in 2018 caused a hill to collapse and overwhelm the rural town of Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec. At least 16 people were killed, and the town was destroyed.
'GOING TO BE WATCHING':Hurricane Agatha expected to hit Mexico on Monday. Is it a threat to the US?
In Huatulco, municipal authorities had cancelled schools and ordered “the absolute closure” of all beaches and its seven bays, many of which are reachable only by boat.
The government’s Mexican Turtle Center – a former slaughterhouse turned conservation center in Mazunte – announced it was closed to visitors until further notice because of the hurricane.
View of the beach before Hurricane Agatha makes landfall in Huatulco, Oaxaca State, Mexico on May 30, 2022. - Hurricane Agatha, the first of the season, made landfall Monday near a string of beach resorts on Mexico's Pacific Coast, where residents and tourists hunkered down in storm shelters.
AccuWeather meteorologist Renee Duff said only two hurricanes in history have made landfall in Mexico during the month of May – Barbara on May 29, 2013, and a previous Agatha on May 24, 1971 – both of which were Category 1 storms.
NOAA HURRICANE FORECAST 2022: Up to 21 named storms possible; as many as 10 hurricanes could form
Strong onshore winds along the coast of Oaxaca will drive water from Agatha along the coast, and a storm surge of up to 10 feet is expected, Accuweather said.
At risk are a string of tourist beaches and fishing towns. Heavy rain and big waves lashed Zipolite, a resort town featuring a clothing-optional beach, sea turtle preservation area and protected coral reefs.
“The ocean is really stirred up, and it’s raining a lot,” said Silvia Ranfagni, the manager of Zipolite’s Casa Kalmar hotel. She said she would ride out Agatha at the property.
The East Pacific tropical season, which began May 15, could be more damaging than normal. AccuWeather predicts a normal-to-above-normal season with 15-19 named storms; six to eight of them could reach hurricane status. The first one is Agatha.
"Flooding rainfall is expected to be one of the biggest impacts across southern Mexico and parts of Central America," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said. "Additional heavy rainfall is expected after the storm, which can lead to additional flooding and hamper cleanup efforts."
Western Wildfires, including the August 2021 Dixie fire resulted in an estimated $10.6 billion in damages
Contributing: Celina Tebor, USA TODAY; The Associated Press;
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Agatha makes landfall in southern Mexico; storm could redevelop in Atlantic