Hurricane Beatriz is reported to have killed three people in the Mexcian resort of Acapulco and wreaked havoc at the start of the country’s busy summer tourist season.
The second Pacific hurricane of 2011 brought high winds and heavy rains to beach resorts from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes, forcing thousands of tourists to stay in their hotels as it uprooted trees and flooded roads.
Three members of the same family drowned in Acapulco after falling into a septic tank while trying to rescue two women, according to public safety officials. Another person was reported missing and dozens of homes were seriously damaged.
“Undoubtedly, Acapulco was the hardest hit,” said Guerrero state public safety spokesman Ramon Almonte. Winds of up to 80 miles per hour died down by Tuesday afternoon to 60 miles per hour and Beatriz was forecast to track into the Pacific and fizzle out.
“There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect,” the US National Hurricane Center in Miami reported. The western state of Jalisco was also hit hard by the storm, with heavy rain recorded in Puerto Vallarta, another of Mexico’s biggest tourist destinations.
The 2011 storm season is expected to be worse than usual, US experts have said. Adrian, the first Pacific hurricane of the 2011 season, was downgraded to a tropical storm over a week ago and never made landfall.