Mexico in grip of hurricane disaster

The Guardian (UK) via AP: The toll from devastating twin storms climbed to 80 on Wednesday as isolated areas of Mexico reported deaths and damage to the outside world. Mexican officials said another 58 people were missing in a massive landslide in the mountains north of Acapulco.

The storm that devastated the Pacific resort over the weekend regained strength on Wednesday and became hurricane Manuel, taking a route that could see it make landfall on Mexico's north-western coast. It would be a third blow to a country still reeling from the one-two punch of Manuel's first landfall and hurricane Ingrid on Mexico's eastern coast.

The US National Hurricane Centre said Manuel was hugging Mexico's coast late on Wednesday and was about five miles from the village of Altata. It called Manuel a small hurricane that was expected to produce up to 250mm (10in) of rain over the state of Sinaloa.

Sinaloa state civil protection authorities said some areas were flooding in the towns of Escuinapa, El Rosario and Mazatlan. At least 60 families were evacuated from the village of Yameto, authorities said. The affected area is mainly small fishing villages.

Outside Acapulco federal authorities reached the mountain village of La Pintada by helicopter and evacuated 334 people, many of whom were hurt, one seriously, said interior minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong...

Hurricane Ingrid's track from September 9 through September 13, 2013. Map created by Cyclonebiskit, public domain