CHAMELA, Mexico — Only a day after menacing Mexico as one of history’s strongest storms, Hurricane Patricia left surprisingly little damage in its wake Saturday and quickly dissipated into an ordinary low-pressure system that that posed little threat beyond heavy
CHAMELA, Mexico — Only a day after menacing Mexico as one of history’s strongest storms, Hurricane Patricia left surprisingly little damage in its wake Saturday and quickly dissipated into an ordinary low-pressure system that that posed little threat beyond heavy rain.
The hurricane’s most powerful punch hit a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico’s Pacific Coast before the system crashed into mountains that sapped its potentially catastrophic force. The popular beach city of Puerto Vallarta and the port of Manzanillo were spared the brunt of the violent weather.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries, said Roberto Lopez Lara, interior secretary for the state of Jalisco. It was a remarkable outcome, considering that Patricia had been a Category 5 hurricane with winds up to 200 mph (325 kph) before it came ashore with slightly less power in an area dotted with a few upscale hotels.
Hours later, as the storm spun inland, it collapsed into fast-moving bands of rain aimed at already sodden Texas.
Officials were still trying to reach some of the hardest-hit areas that were blocked by downed trees, and residents of towns nearest the strike said they had endured a terrifying night.
Down the road in Chamela, people picked through boards, tree limbs and other refuse for anything salvageable. All 40 families that live there rode out the storm at a shelter in nearby San Mateo. When they returned, they found little that was recognizable.
Arturo Morfin Garcia wielded a machete trying to clear debris from around his home, which was reduced to a jumble of bricks and beams. The only part left standing was a concrete bathroom at one end.
In Manzanillo, high winds and waves blew out windows and damaged some buildings. Trees and utility poles were toppled. An enraged sea battered the Hotel Barra de Navidad in a nearby town, scooping sand away from the foundations.
All the streets were full of downed trees, hotel watchman Domingo Hernandez said, calling Patricia the strongest storm he’s seen in a quarter-century living on the coast.
Puerto Vallarta, home to some 200,000 people, including thousands of U.S. residents and visitors, was largely unscathed.
People snapped selfies next to a sculpture overlooking the sea Saturday, and business owners swept sidewalks as they would on any morning. Puddles dotted the downtown district, but no more than a passing thunderstorm might leave.
Patricia plunged ashore about 65 miles southeast of Vallarta, which was protected from much of the fury by mountains.
By midday, Patricia had dissipated and had maximum sustained winds of 30 mph, according to the hurricane center. Its remnants were expected to feed into existing rain hitting southern Texas.
On Saturday afternoon, the remains of Patricia were about 45 miles southwest of the Mexican city of Monterrey, and moving to the northeast at 22 mph.
That such a monster storm could inflict so little harm seemed wondrous. Patricia formed suddenly Tuesday and quickly strengthened to a hurricane. Within 30 hours it had zoomed to a record-beating Category 5 storm, catching many off guard with its rapid growth.
By Friday it was the most powerful hurricane on record in the Western Hemisphere, with a central pressure of 880 millibars, according to the hurricane center.
