Mexicans recover after Willa's 'end of world' onslaught
A general view shows a flooded street and fallen trees in the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
ESCUINAPA, Mexico (Reuters) - Residents on Mexico's Pacific Coast on Wednesday began clearing up the wreckage left by Hurricane Willa, which ripped through towns overnight, tearing off rooftops, downing power lines and splitting trees apart.
Willa, a powerful Category 3 hurricane, hit the northwestern state of Sinaloa late on Tuesday as one of the strongest storms to lash the coast in recent years, with winds of up to 120 miles per hour (195 km per hour).
A police vehicle moves past a fallen utility pole along a highway outside the town of Isla del Bosque near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
"I thought it was the end of the world," said Alma Rosa Ramirez, a 45-year-old resident of the town of Escuinapa, as she described how her whole house rattled in the blasting winds.
Now with the sun peeking through and wind nearly at a standstill, Ramirez and scores of other residents took to the streets to pick up debris, while emergency crews poured in to work on reestablishing basic services.
Ramirez arrived at her tiny fruit and vegetable stand in the shadow of a large stone church in Escuinapa's central square, saying she feared the storm had devastated the farming region that supplies her with the carrots, squash and chilis she sells.
A general view shows damages on the waterfront in the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
"There's going to be a lot of poverty," she said.
No deaths have been reported as thousands of people were evacuated from coastal towns and resorts before the storm hit.
"The population took cover in time," said Luis Felipe Puente, head of the country's Civil Protection agency.
Fallen trees are seen at a house outside the town of Isla del Bosque near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
On the other side of Escuinapa, 74-year-old retiree Virginia Medina sat in a white plastic chair, a 4-week-old kitten winding between her legs, as she took in the damage.
Willa showed her little mercy: a metal corrugated roof collapsed, water pooled in the kitchen and gnarled branches littered Medina's front patio and backyard.
"I can't even walk in my backyard ... Here in the neighborhood a lot of walls came tumbling down. Now there is no power, no gas, there's nothing," Medina said.
A general view shows damage in the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
POWER CUTS
Along a stretch of a two-lane highway southwest of Escuinapa, workers from Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission tended to countless downed power lines.
Workers attend to a fallen street light pole along a highway outside the town of Isla del Bosque near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
Noe Mauricio, a worker wearing a yellow helmet and orange vest, stood in the road directing traffic under steady rain. He said it could take two weeks to re-establish power in the area.
"We're doing it as fast as possible but with the wind all of them fell," Mauricio added, referring to the 30-km-long (18.5-mile-long) string of fallen electricity poles.
A map of the area showed Los Canales lagoon to one side of the highway. Flood waters had filled in the other side too, leaving the tops of some trees and a fence sticking out.
Workers attend to a fallen street light pole along a highway outside the town of Isla del Bosque near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
Willa struck the coast about 50 miles (80 km) south of Mazatlan, a major city and tourist resort in Sinaloa.
The hurricane had reached rare Category 5 status on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, on Monday, with winds nearing 160 miles per hour (260 kph), as it headed toward the coast.
The storm had dissipated by mid-morning as it moved quickly inland over northwest-central Mexico on Wednesday. It was still expected to dump heavy rains across the region.
A general view shows damages at the waterfront of the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
By then, the storm was about 75 miles (120 km) west of the city of Monterrey, blowing maximum sustained winds of 25 mph(40 km), the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Downpours in Mexico prior to Willa's arrival had heightened the risk of flooding, and the NHC said the storm could drench some areas in as much as 18 inches (45 cm) of rain.
Fallen trees are seen at a house outside the town of Isla del Bosque near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
(Additional reporting by Dave Graham and Brendan O'Brien; writing by Anthony Esposito and Daina Beth Solomon; editing by G Crosse and Sandra Maler)
A motorcyclist rides past a fallen utility pole along a highway outside the town of Isla del Bosque near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA general view shows damages at the waterfront of the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroPeople walk on a damaged boardwalk in the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA boat lies on a street near a damaged boardwalk in the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroFallen electricity poles are seen along a highway outside the town of Escuinapa near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA piece of fallen sheet metal is seen on a tree in the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA general view shows damages at the waterfront in the town of Teacapan near the southern tip of Sinaloa state, after Hurricane Willa hit Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroWorkers works on a fallen electricity pole along a highway outside the town of Escuinapa near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroFallen electricity pole is seen along a highway outside the town of Escuinapa near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroWorkers work near a fallen electricity pole along a highway outside the town of Escuinapa near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroFallen electricity pole is seen along a highway outside the town of Escuinapa near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroTrucks with heavy machinery drive past fallen tree branches along a street in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA man rides a bicycle past a fallen palm tree and wooden structure in a street in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA man rides his motorcicle past fallen trees along a street in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA man runs near a fallen sheet roof of a workshop along a street in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA man moves tree branches outside his home in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroHurricane Willa brings high waves to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 23, 2018, in this still image taken from a video obtained on social media. Edgar Paredes, Irma Paredes via REUTERSA car drives past a fallen tree along a street in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroPalm trees waves in Mazatlan as Hurricane Willa approaches the Pacific beach resort, Mexico October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroHurricane Willa brings high waves to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 23, 2018, in this still image taken froma video obtained on social media. Edgar Paredes, Irma Paredes via REUTERSA man walks past a sign at the park in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit the area, Mexico, October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA man looks at the sea along the Mazatlan boardwalk as Hurricane Willa approaches the Pacific beach resort, Mexico October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroFallen tree is seen at the park in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit the area, Mexico October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroA man moves tree branches in a street in Escuinapa, near the southern tip of Sinaloa state after Hurricane Willa hit, Mexico October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry RomeroPeople look at the sea along the Mazatlan boardwalk as Hurricane Willa approaches the Pacific beach resort, Mexico October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero
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