Hurricane Simon and Rachel's remnants leave five dead in Mexico
Hurricane Simon was moving slowly off Mexico’s west-central coast on October 13, 2026, with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h. The National Hurricane Center shifted its forecast track southward and said confidence in track and intensity was very low. One death was linked to Simon in Guerrero, while four deaths in Baja California were attributed to post-tropical Rachel, for a combined toll of five.
Simon sat roughly 160 km west of Cabo Corrientes and 300 km south-southwest of Mazatlán early on October 13, with a central pressure near 977 hPa. Its tight core had maximum winds around a 9 km radius, while tropical-storm-strength winds reached 55–75 km outward.
Forecasters expected weak steering currents, so the storm might barely move for about 60 hours, and models diverged. Watches and warnings covered Las Islas Marías and nearby coasts; rainfall of 125–255 mm, with isolated 380 mm, threatened Sinaloa by Thursday. Mexico mobilized 22,589 responders, 1,470 vehicles, 323 pieces of heavy equipment, and 18 aircraft.
Coastal residents, travelers, and emergency workers in west-central Mexico and Baja California may face continued flood, mudslide, storm-surge, and surf hazards. Communities such as Acapulco, Las Islas Marías, and parts of Sinaloa could see roads, power, and tourism disrupted, affecting local livelihoods. Families of the five dead may bear lasting grief. If heavy rain materializes, shelters and response operations could remain stretched, especially while forecast confidence stays low.