Hurricane Polo is barreling towards the US after slamming the Pacific coast of Mexico with powerful winds, torrential rain and pounding surf — with officials warning about possible life-threatening flash flooding.
Polo made landfall Monday night along the west coast of Baja California Sur, just south of the small town of Las Barrancas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm was likely a Category 2 hurricane when it came ashore, packing maximum sustained winds of roughly 105 to 110 mph.
By early Tuesday, Polo had weakened after moving over land but was still producing hurricane-force winds, with sustained winds of 75 mph and higher gusts, the NHC said.
The storm has already battered Mexico’s Pacific coast with torrential rain, destructive waves and violent winds, leaving flooded streets and damaged properties in its wake.
Now forecasters are warning that Polo’s soaking rains could trigger life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, particularly in mountainous areas.
As the storm moves across Mexico, as much as “34 trillion gallons of rainfall headed toward the Southwest and Central U.S,” could be on the way, Crisis Response International said in a social media post.
The National Weather Service issued a bulletin for parts of west Texas and New Mexico warning of “potentially life-threatening flash flooding” through early Wednesday.
Flash flooding has already been seen in parts of New Mexico as the Rio Grande swells beyond its banks.
The threat will then shift farther east, with the agency warning of possible flash flooding from central Texas to central Oklahoma into Thursday.
“Several inches of rain are possible, with 5–6+ inches possible across parts of Texas,” one meteorologist wrote on social media.
“Repeated rounds of storms could cause rainfall to pile up quickly, leading to life-threatening flash flooding.”
And while Polo’s worst effects may be moving away from Southern California, coastal communities in Los Angeles and Orange counties could still feel the storm’s effects.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday ended an earlier warning for high surf and coastal flooding, but said dangerous ocean conditions could linger.
“The surf from Hurricane Polo has peaked and will lower rather quickly through Wednesday, but strong rip currents may linger,” the bulletin read.
“While the high tide will be lower on Wednesday compared to today, it will lower only a little and will likely still be above 7.0 feet.”
And Polo may not be the last storm to make waves along the coast.
Tropical Storm Rachel is expected to produce “larger” swells than Polo along Southern California early to mid-next week, officials said.
Rachel was nearing hurricane strength Tuesday as it moved along Mexico’s southwestern coast, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, according to the NHC.
“Large waves could produce life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along portions of the southwestern coast of Mexico during the next several days.”
