Saturday, September 18, 2010

Deadly mudslides, floods hit Mexico

Disaster News Network via BNO News: Category 3 Hurricane Karl on Friday made landfall on Mexico's Gulf coast, causing heavy rains and mudslides that killed at least two people and injured two others. The storm rapidly weakened and eventually dissipated on Saturday as it passed over the high mountains of southern Mexico.

Karl initially made landfall as a category three storm near the city of Veracruz on Mexico’s Gulf Coast on Friday, knocking down over 900 trees and knocking out power to several thousand people. Heavy rains have also affected other states. In Puebla state a landslide in the municipality of Zacapoaxtla left two people killed - a 64-year-old woman and a 2-year-old girl- and injured two others, the state's Civil Protection office told BNO News.

As the storm moved inland, Karl eventually weakened to a tropical depression and then dissipated hours later over the high mountains in southern Mexico. "Karl moved over the high mountains of southern Mexico and quickly weakened," said hurricane specialist Lixion Avila at the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center. "The cloud pattern as well as the circulation are very disrupted while the deep convection has practically vanished. There are no surface observations nearby suggesting the presence of strong winds."….

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