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Rick 'extremely dangerous' Category 5 hurricane

The Associated Press

Published: October 17, 2009

Updated: 10/17/2009 06:46 pm

MEXICO CITY - Hurricane Rick strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast today and forecasters said it could strike the Baja California Peninsula sometime next week.

Authorities in the resort of Acapulco closed the port to small craft after Rick kicked up heavy waves and gusts of wind.

"There are waves of 7 to 8 feet, and gusts of wind," said Victor Cruz Lopez, the watch officer at the port captain's office.

The storm had sustained winds near 150 mph (240 kph) and it was expected to grow into a monster Category 5 storm with winds surpassing 155 mph (250 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami reported, though it said the storm was likely to lose much of that punch before hitting land.

Rick was centered about 290 miles (470 kilometers) south of the port of Manzanillo, west of Acapulco, on Saturday afternoon and was moving northwest near 15 mph (24 kph), the center said.

Forecasters said it was projected to stay well off the coast for several days before bending east over cooler waters and hitting the Baja California Peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane sometime Wednesday.

Meteorologist Jessica Schauer told The Associated Press that warm waters fueled Rick's rapid jump from Category 1 to Category 4 in only about 36 hours.

"Right now it's over very warm water and the current forecast track keeps it over warm water for quite a while," she said.

Rick was forecast to pass near Socorro Island, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Cabo San Lucas, on Tuesday. The island is a nature reserve with a small Mexican Navy post and it hosts scuba diving expeditions in winter months.

Acapulco's Civil Protection Department had warned that rains from outer bands of the storm could trigger landslides and flooding in the resort city, but no such effects were reported today.

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