Overview
- Simon rapidly strengthened to a major Category 4 hurricane near the west-central Pacific coast on October 11 before weakening to a compact hurricane that has since hovered offshore.
- The storm has produced heavy rain, large swells and dangerous surf along the coast of Nayarit, Sinaloa and Guerrero, with mudslide and flood threats where the Sierra Madre meets the sea.
- Reports attribute between five and six deaths to Simon and the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel, with Baja California authorities confirming several recovered victims and search-and-rescue operations ongoing.
- Mexico mobilized a large response effort with more than 22,500 personnel, hundreds of heavy machines and aircraft, evacuations, temporary shelters and helicopter rescues reported in hard-hit areas.
- Satellites captured gravity waves from Simon reaching the upper atmosphere, and forecasters warned that moisture could send heavy rain into parts of the U.S., while NHC track and intensity guidance remains of very low confidence.