Hurricane Simon has strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm, barreling toward Mexico's Pacific coast. The major hurricane is threatening the country's west-central and southwestern coasts with destructive winds, dangerous storm surges, and potentially deadly flooding.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents along the Pacific coast to remain indoors on Sunday as the storm approached. In Puerto Vallarta, businesses have been boarding up windows in preparation for the hurricane's impact.
The Category 4 storm is pounding the coast, with its eye remaining just offshore while powerful winds and rain slam people living between the Sierra Madre and the ocean. The hurricane's center has swirled parallel to the coast, closing in on the Puerto Vallarta area and threatening the community of Cabo Corrientes as it churns off Jalisco.
The most damaging winds and rain are expected to hit Puerto Vallarta around midnight and continue through Monday morning. The hurricane was expected to approach Mexico as a major storm late on October 10 or early on October 11.