Hurricane Lidia makes landfall as Category 4 storm near Puerto Vallarta
On a Tuesday evening, Hurricane Lidia, a Category 4 storm with winds raging at 140 mph (220 kph), made landfall near Puerto Vallarta, a popular Pacific coast resort in Mexico. The U.S. National Hurricane Center described Lidia as "extremely dangerous" at the time. The storm's eye appeared to have touched down near Las Penitas in the western state of Jalisco, an area with sparse population.
Lidia then continued its path, moving south of Puerto Vallarta, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the resort and roughly 90 miles (150 kilometers) west of Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state. The hurricane center warned of potential flash flooding as Lidia was expected to drench the region with heavy rain.
In preparation for the storm's arrival, local tourist resorts battened down the hatches to endure lashing rains, life-threatening winds, and potential flooding. The Puerto Vallarta International Airport announced its closure until 8 am the following Wednesday.
In response to the looming threat, some school classes were canceled, and residents were encouraged to seek shelter. A Hurricane warning was in place, spanning from the Islas Marias to El Roblito in Nayarit state and extending to the port city of Manzanillo. Tropical storm conditions were anticipated to affect regions as far as Michoacan state and the southern parts of Sinaloa.
