After last month's Tropical Storm Manuel, Mexico's coast may be weathered again by hurricane Raymond which has strengthened to a Category 2 storm on Monday, the Associated Press reported.
Hurricane Raymond had almost stalled about 165 miles offshore, and was expected to move closer to the coast by Tuesday before heading out back towards the sea on Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported.
After Tropical Storm Manuel left behind drenched hillsides and forced 10,000 people from their homes after heavy rains caused landslides and buried a village, Mexican authorities deployed emergency crews and were considering evacuations of low-lying areas, the AP reported.
The head of Mexico's National Water Commission, David Korenfeld, said officials "were hoping on a cold front" that was moving from the north and could help lead Raymond away from the Mexican coast, according to the AP.
Mexico has no oil installation in the path of Raymond, with winds currently at 100 miles per hour, but the National Hurricane Center said Raymond will most likely continue to gather strength and become a full-blown hurricane Monday night, Reuters reported.
"There will be rain for the next 72 hours along the Pacific coast - very heavy rain, torrential rain," Korenfeld said, according to AP.
Forecasters added that even if Raymond doesn't turn into a major hurricane, heavy rain could cause flash floods and mudslides along the south-central Mexican coast.
The Mexican government has issued hurricane alerts from Acapulco in Guerrero state to the port of Lazaro Cardenas further northwest, and said it was monitoring the hurricane's conditions, Reuters reported.
Authorities in Guerrero, where Manuel caused 120 deaths last month, set up 700 emergency shelters, closed all seaports and urged residents in risk areas to take precaution. The state also cancelled classes in most coastal communities, the AP reported.
Due to flooding, landslides and the displacing of thousands of people caused by recent storms have caused diarrheal illnesses and Mexico is currently experiencing its first local transmission of cholera in over a decade, Reuters reported.
