Hurricane Roslyn Makes Landfall In Mexico, Avoids Resorts

Hurricane Roslyn slammed into a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico’s Pacific coast between the resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan Sunday morning and quickly moved inland.

By Sunday morning, Roslyn remained a major hurricane with winds of 120 mph, down only slightly from its peak of 130 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Roslyn was about 55 miles (90 kms) northwest of Tepic, the inland capital of Nayarit state.

The hurricane was moving north-northeast at 16 miles per hour (26 kph) and was expected to lose force as it moves further inland.

While it missed a direct hit, Roslyn brought heavy rain and high waves to Puerto Vallarta, where ocean surges lashed the beachside promenade.

Roslyn came ashore in Nayarit state, in roughly the same area where Hurricane Orlene made landfall Oct. 3.

The hurricane made landfall north of the fishing village of San Blas, about 90 miles (150 kilometers) north of Puerto Vallarta.

Beachside eateries in Puerto Vallarta where tourists had lunched unconcerned Saturday were abandoned Sunday, and at some the waves had carried away railings and small thatched structures that normally keep the sun off diners.

The Jalisco state civil defense office said authorities were patrolling the area, but had not yet seen any major damage.

The National Water Commission said rains from Roslyn could cause mudslides and flooding and the U.S. hurricane center warned of dangerous storm surge along the coast, as well as 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain.