Wind whipped Mexico's northern Pacific coast and water began to flood some streets Monday as Hurricane Polo bore down on Baja California Sur, threatening flash floods and mudslides.
In Puerto San Carlos, a fishing town of about 5,700 people, high tides and pounding waves from Polo were breaching sea barriers as residents worried for their homes in the mostly empty town. Hundreds of people in the region evacuated, hunkering down in nearby shelters in schools and other facilities.
Polo was a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) Monday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Rocío Sánchez, a fisherwoman, described the evacuation order issued to residents. "Civil Protection told those of us here in San Carlos to evacuate because this is a high-risk area. With the current tides, the expected waves and the wind, the earthen barriers they built to prevent flooding could give way," she said.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Nolo could still bring torrential rain to parts of Hawaii even as the storm edges away from the state.