Storms Simon and Rachel Ravage Mexico's Coast, Killing at Least 2

At least two people have died in Mexico after Hurricane Simon and former Tropical Storm Rachel brought torrential rain and severe flooding to communities along the Pacific coast, according to information released at a news conference on Monday.

In Guerrero state, Governor Evelyn Salgado confirmed that a 71-year-old man died during Hurricane Simon when a retaining wall collapsed under the weight of heavy rainfall. According to Guerrero-based news outlet IRZA, the victim was identified by his family as Albino Moreno Jimenez, who was feeding livestock on the western outskirts of Chilpancingo when the wall gave way.

A second death was reported the same day in Baja California state. Governor Marina del Pilar said a young girl died as a result of former Hurricane Rachel, which reached Category 3 strength earlier in October.

At least 10 other people remain missing in Baja California, including eight in the Pacific coastal city of Ensenada and two in the fishing town of San Felipe on the Gulf of California. The figures remain preliminary, while the newspaper La Jornada reported higher numbers, with two dead and 11 missing in Baja California.

Death toll expected to rise

Rachel made landfall in the state as a post-tropical cyclone, with the remnants of the storm moving north through Southern California and the southwestern United States. Simon, meanwhile, has been churning off Mexico's coast since the weekend. By late Monday morning, it had weakened from a strong Category 4 to Category 2.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, maximum sustained winds eased slightly to about 155 km/h. The storm's center was about 115 km west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, a peninsula in Jalisco state, moving west at 3 km/h.

Forecasters say Simon could make landfall on Thursday or Friday. Hurricane warnings remain in effect for western Mexico, an area vulnerable to landslides and dangerous surf churned up by the storm.

Experts warn the death toll from both storms could rise, and officials are urging residents to exercise caution amid the destruction caused by fallen trees, high winds and floodwaters.

Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that cliff diver Juan Patines died in Mazatlan, in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, after jumping into the sea on Saturday night. According to Mexican media, large waves hampered his efforts to swim back to shore amid dangerous coastal conditions linked to Hurricane Simon. Local authorities subsequently suspended cliff-diving activities in the area. Officials have not confirmed whether his death was directly related to Hurricane Simon.

A record Pacific hurricane season

Rachel and Simon have battered Mexico's western coast during an unusually active period of storm activity across the Pacific. The northeastern and central Pacific have recorded a record season this year, driven in part by El Nino, which warms sea surface temperatures in some areas. Twenty-one named storms have formed in the region so far.

On Sunday, Simon pushed the region to a historic high for accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), a measure of the strength and duration of tropical storms. This year has surpassed the previous record set in 2018.

The U.S. Hawaiian island chain is among the hardest-hit areas. In August, Hurricane Lala caused devastating flooding on the Big Island while at Category 1 strength, killing a 93-year-old woman and destroying about 100 homes, according to state officials.

Weeks later, Hurricane Lowell, which reached Category 4, struck the islands of Kauai and Niihau, where strong winds, storm surge and flooding submerged towns and roads. About 90% of electricity customers on Kauai lost power. At least two deaths were linked to Lowell.

In late September, Hurricane Nolo brought another round of flooding and landslides to the Hawaiian islands even without making landfall.