Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel kill five people on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Key Points:

• At least five people have died in Mexico following the impacts of Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel, which caused flooding, downed trees and power lines, and damaged homes and infrastructure along the Pacific coast.
• A 71-year-old man died in Guerrero after a wall collapsed due to Simon, which also damaged coastal towns including Acapulco, while Tropical Storm Rachel caused the deaths of four family members near Ensenada in Baja California.
• Rescue efforts in Baja California saved 32 people by helicopter, with over 50 individuals currently being assisted in temporary shelters; five others remain missing.
• Although Simon weakened to a category two hurricane and did not make landfall, heavy rains continue to pose risks of life-threatening flooding and mudslides in west-central Mexico, with waves up to five meters expected along some coasts.
• The ongoing El Niño phenomenon, intensified by human-caused global warming, is contributing to more severe hurricanes this season, with the 2026-27 El Niño predicted to be the strongest ever recorded.