Hurricane Agatha plowed into beach resorts on Mexico's southern Pacific coast on Monday, bringing torrential rains and the threat of flooding as the first named storm in the eastern Pacific this year. Hitting as a Category 2 storm, Agatha barreled ashore blowing sustained winds of 105 mph (169 kph) west of the beach town of Puerto Angel in Oaxaca state, before weakening as it moved inland, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said. Mexico's National Guard said it deployed units in Oaxaca and the neighboring states of Guerrero and Chiapas to bolster security and assist people taking cover from the storm. Agatha was the strongest hurricane to reach land on Mexico's Pacific coast during the month of May since records began in 1949, the Miami-based NHC said on Twitter. "Although Agatha is weakening, life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides from heavy rains are still possible through Tuesday," said the National Hurricane Center in a forecast discussion Monday night, after it became a tropical storm. "Heavy rains associated with Agatha will continue over portions of southern Mexico through Tuesday. This will pose a threat of life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides," the NHC said. "Tropical storm conditions will continue within the warning area through Tuesday morning," it added. Agatha was the strongest hurricane on record to strike land in the eastern Pacific during the month of May, according to the National Hurricane Center. Agatha came ashore with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph near Puerto Angel, Mexico, as it moved toward the northeast at close to 8 mph Monday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. The tropical storm was still packing winds of 70 mph and dumping heavy rains near Puerto Angel, Mexico, as it moved northeastwards inland on Monday night. The Mexican state of Oaxaca was the worst-affected area for rain and facing the threat of life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, forecasters warned. Oaxaca could expect 10 to 16 inches overnight, with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches possible. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Puerto Escondido eastward to Boca de Pijijiapan. There is an increasing chance the storm's general circulation could survive the trek across Mexico and redevelop in the Gulf of Mexico later this week. — Agencies
