‘Extremely dangerous’ category 4 storm could hit cat 5 before landfall this week
As the migrant caravan re-forms in Mexico, swelling to a massive 7,000 strong herd following a dramatic storm of the Guatemala-Mexican border over the weekend, the army of immigrants now faces a new threat from Hurricane Willa as it makes its way to the United States Southern Border.
Forecasters are now warning that the “extremely dangerous” category 4 storm will make landfall on Tuesday/Wednesday and is heading for the path that the migrant caravan will eventually cross as it pushes toward the US seeking American asylum.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said early Monday that Willa is expected to “produce life-threatening storm surge, wind, and rainfall over portions of southwestern and west-central Mexico beginning on Tuesday,” predicting that Willa could become a Category 5 hurricane later Monday morning, generating life-threatening surf and rip conditions.
Another slightly smaller storm named Vincente is also gathering pace to the south of Willa that meteorologists say will be consumed by the rapidly growing Willa, but will still pose a threat for dangerous conditions for the caravan, which is already struggling with food, sanitation, and organization issues.
Speaking at a rally last week, President Trump highlighted the Democrats’ enthusiasm for the caravan to hit the US border just in time for the November Midterms.
“A lot of money’s been passing through people to come up and try to get to the border by Election Day because they think that’s a negative for us,” Trump said.
“No. 1, they’re being stopped, and No. 2, regardless, that’s our issue.”
He added: “They wanted that caravan and there are those that say that caravan didn’t just happen. It didn’t just happen.”
But as the Dems are keen to politicize the growing army of refugees as they head for American soil, Hurricane Willa now threatens to put the exposed and vulnerable migrants in serious danger, potentially creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Hurricane Willa, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), “continues to rapidly strengthen,” as it barrels toward the coast.
As of the center’s 8 p.m. ET advisory, the hurricane was roughly 225 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph.
According to Fox News, Willa is forecast to produce “life-threatening storm surge, wind, and rainfall” over areas of southwestern and west-central Mexico, meteorologists said.
A hurricane watch was in effect for a stretch of shore between San Blas and Mazatlan, while a tropical storm warning was posted for the area between Playa Perula to San Blas.
#Willa, now a major hurricane in the eastern Pacific could lead to more heavy rain across Texas by the middle of this week. The associated moisture will then interact with a stationary front and possibly spawn a nor’easter off/near the Mid-Atlantic coast by next weekend. pic.twitter.com/wo60SANlB5
— NWS WPC (@NWSWPC) October 21, 2018
According to USA Today, Willa is predicted to grow to a category 5 storm as a hurricane warning was posted for Mexico’s western coast between San Blas and Mazatlan.
Tropical storm warnings were raised from Playa Perula to San Blas and north of Mazatlan to Bahia Tempehuaya.
Willa had maximum sustained winds of 155 mph early Monday and was centered about 195 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes. It was moving north at 5 mph.
Hurricane force winds extended out 25 miles from the storm’s core and tropical storm force winds were up to 90 miles out.
The hurricane center said 6 to 12 inches of rain should fall – and some places could see up to 18 inches – on parts of Mexico’s western Jalisco, western Nayarit, and southern Sinaloa states, raising the danger of flash flooding and landslides in mountainous areas.
Farther to the south, Tropical Storm Vicente weakened but was still expected to produce heavy rainfall and flooding over parts of southern and southwestern Mexico.
Forecasters said it was expected to weaken into a tropical depression Monday night or early Tuesday while moving nearer to Mexico’s southern Pacific shore.
Its core was about 220 miles southeast of Acapulco with top sustained winds of 40 mph late Sunday.
The hurricane center said it could produce 3 to 6 inches of rain in parts of Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states.