PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — Category 5 Hurricane Patricia hit the southwestern Pacific coast of Mexico on Oct. 23 with winds starting at 200 mph, causing tens of thousands of people to be evacuated.
The hurricane is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere as reported by the National Hurricane Center with an eye with the diameter 10 kilometers or 6.41 miles. The storm started on the coast late Friday afternoon when strong winds and rain hit as tourists and residents in resorts moved to a place of shelter. The NHC reported the winds were estimated at 165 mph when they first hit near Cuixmala.
"The hurricane is so big and so intense that it has the capacity to pass over both the Sierra Madres in our country -- that is, through our most mountainous ranges -- and then exit the country on the other side into the north part of the Gulf of Mexico and possibly the United States," said the director of Mexico's National Commission for Water, CONAGUA , Robert Ramirez de la Parra.
Hurricane Patricia remained a Category 5 and caused a landfall as predicted around 7:15 p.m. ET on the coast of southwestern Mexico near Cuixmala. This is the biggest hurricane ever recorded while Hurricane Camille that struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in 1969, Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, are close behind. It also has been compared to Typhoon Haiyan which hit the Philippines in 2013.
Hurricane #Patricia approaches #Mexico. It's massive. Be careful! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/F5LgnjOjey
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly)
The Odyssey at Kennesaw State University sends their thoughts and prayers to those affected by Hurricane Patricia.
