Forecasters: Hurricane Bonnie Could Bring Flooding to Mexico
Storm upgraded after winds increase; fatalities already reported in Nicaragua, El Salvador
Hurricane Bonnie traveled parallel to Mexico’s coast Monday after becoming the third hurricane in the region this year. Bonnie was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane Sunday evening from a tropical storm after its sustained winds increased to 130 kilometers per hour. It first hit land as a tropical storm on the Caribbean coast near the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border. Nicaragua’s army said two people were killed in the storm because of flooding. Officials in El Salvador said one person died from torrential rains. The storm has now crossed over Central America and into the Pacific, becoming the third hurricane of the eastern north Pacific season. It is not expected to make landfall in Mexico as it travels parallel to the coast. Mexico’s meteorological service, however, has warned the storm could cause strong winds and rains, mudslides and flooding. The storm had sustained winds early Monday of 150 kilometers per hour and was centered 370 kilometers southeast of Acapulco, Mexico. It is forecast to move away from Mexico’s coast on Wednesday.