Hurricane Grace gains strength and hits Mexico

Published on : 08/21/2021 – 09:06

Mexico raised flood and landslide alerts on Saturday, August 21. For good reason, Hurricane Grace strengthened during the night from Friday to Saturday before touching the country for the second time.

The powerful hurricane made landfall in Tecolutla, Veracruz, eastern Mexico on Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, with winds of 205 km / h.

“Grace quickly became a major hurricane,” Category 3, the NHC said shortly before. A Category 3 hurricane can damage coastal homes and buildings, knock down trees and signs and cause flooding in coastal areas, says the Commission.

Veracruz State on alert

It is predicted that after making landfall, the hurricane will begin to lose strength, especially when it hits mountain ranges. However, the Veracruz has many powerful rivers, which keeps the authorities on the alert.

In the port of Veracruz, businesses have placed boards and protections on windows and doors, while fishermen have sheltered 300 boats. Residents secured their homes after stocking up on preserves and water.

The authorities have set up 200 shelters and are ready to activate 2,000 more if necessary. By late afternoon, most of the roads in Veracruz were closed.

Members of the Mexican armed forces stand ready to protect the people of Veracruz, said Laura Velázquez, national civil protection coordinator.

“I join the call that is launched to ask the inhabitants of the region of Veracruz, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Hidalgo to take refuge in the heights with relatives and in shelters that are being installed, “tweeted President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador.

This will be the second time Grace has reached Mexico, after spending there Thursday without causing any death or major property damage. Then classified in category 1, it made landfall Thursday morning near the seaside resort of Tulum, on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. The planes had been grounded and tourists had to spend the night in dedicated shelters.

Grace had been demoted to a tropical storm on dry land. But then it regained strength in the Gulf of Mexico, more than expected.

With AFP