Two Dead as Hurricanes Simon and Rachel Slam Mexico’s Pacific Coast

At least two individuals have lost their lives in Mexico following the impact of Hurricane Simon and the remnants of former tropical storm Rachel, which have brought torrential rainfall and severe flooding to communities along the nation’s Pacific coast.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado confirmed during a Monday news briefing that a 71-year-old man died when a retaining wall collapsed under the strain of heavy precipitation. According to the Guerrero-based news agency IRZA, the victim, identified by family members as Albino Moreno Jimenez, was feeding livestock on the western outskirts of Chilpancingo when the structure gave way.

A second fatality was reported later that day in Baja California. Governor Marina del Pilar announced that a young girl died from complications related to what was previously Hurricane Rachel. The storm peaked in early October as a Category 3 system before making landfall as a post-tropical cyclone. Its remnants have since moved northward through southern California.

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Authorities in Baja California are also searching for at least 10 missing persons. Eight individuals are unaccounted for in the city of Ensenada on the Pacific side, while two are missing in the fishing town of San Felipe on the Gulf of California. Local newspaper La Jornada has reported preliminary figures suggesting the death toll in Baja California may be higher, with two confirmed fatalities and 11 people missing.

Hurricane Simon, which has been tracking off the Mexican coast since the weekend, weakened from a Category 4 storm to a Category 2 system by late Monday morning. The US National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds of approximately 155 km/h (100 mph). The storm’s center was located about 115 km west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes in the state of Jalisco, drifting west at 3 km/h. Forecasters predict Simon could make landfall as early as Thursday or Friday.

Hurricane warnings remain active for western Mexico, where residents face risks of landslides and dangerous surf conditions. Experts warn that the death toll could rise as officials assess the full extent of the damage caused by downed trees, high winds, and floodwaters.

Separately, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported the death of cliff diver Juan Patines in Mazatlan, in the northwestern state of Sinaloa. Patines reportedly drowned on Saturday night after struggling to return to shore due to heavy surf linked to Hurricane Simon. Local authorities have suspended cliff-diving activities at the site due to hazardous sea conditions, though officials have not yet confirmed whether his death was directly caused by the hurricane.

The destructive events in Mexico are part of a record-breaking Pacific hurricane season fueled in part by the El Nino weather phenomenon. The northeastern and central Pacific has seen 21 named storms this year. On Sunday, Simon pushed the region’s accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) to a historic high, surpassing the previous record set in 2018.

Hawaii has also been severely affected by the active season. In August, Hurricane Lala caused significant flooding on the Big Island, killing a 93-year-old woman and destroying approximately 100 homes. Later, Hurricane Lowell, a Category 4 storm, struck Kauai and Niihau, leaving roughly 90 percent of Kauai’s power customers without electricity and linking at least two deaths to the event. In late September, Hurricane Nolo brought additional flooding and landslides to the Hawaiian islands without making direct landfall.