Halloween Storm Forces Thousands of Evacuations

Trick-or-treat storms batter a vast region in the U.S.

Heavy rain and high winds forced dozens of U.S. cities and towns into cancelling Halloween activities on Thursday, battering a vast region from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.

“The cities of Indianapolis and Muncie, Indiana, postponed trick-or-treating, local officials said. Toledo and at least 30 cities in Central Ohio put it off until Friday or as late as Sunday, according to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s website,” said a report.

The storm system, aided by the remnants of Hurricane Raymond, which dissipated over the Pacific on Tuesday, dumped as much as 15 inches of rain over Austin area, killing at least two people, and forcing some 1,000 residences to evacuate due to flooding.

“For certain areas, it looks like this will be in their Top 10 [flood events] of all time,” said a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Austin-San Antonio office.

Hurricane RAYMOND Shuts Down Mexico’s SW Coast

Hurricane RAYMOND becomes quasi-stationary near Mexico’s  Pacific coast forcing hundreds of evacuations

RAYMOND, a CAT4A hurricane, has become quasi-stationary with sustained winds of about 210 km/hr gusting up to 260km/hr located about 150km offshore SW Pacific coast of Mexico. The hurricane is expected to move closer to the coast before making a u-turn and heading out to ocean.

Hurricane RAYMOND. VISIBLE/INFRARED satellite image (FIRE-EARTH Enhancement) recorded at 00:30UTC on October 22, 2013. Original image sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

The hurricane continues to dump steady rain on the storm-battered resort of Acapulco, the scene of death and much devastation caused by the twin storms MANUEL and INGRID in September.

Hurricane alerts are have been issued for Guerrero and Michoacan states, prompting authorities to evacuate about 900 people.

Thousands of people are still living in shelters in Acapulco following the mid-September historic flooding that killed more than 150 people and caused widespread devastation estimated at about $6 billion.

“If [Hurricane RAYMOND] carries on moving at this speed and the cold front keeps holding it, we’ll have permanent rain for the next 72 hours,” said head of Mexico’s national emergency services.

“The flooding, mudslides and displacement of thousands of people caused by the recent storms have heightened the risk of waterborne illness in Mexico. The country has recorded its first local transmission of cholera in just over a decade,” said a report.

More details to follow…

Related Links

• TS RAYMOND forms off Mexico, threatens Acapulco with more rain October 20, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Satellite Imagery

Earlier Events

• MANUEL and INGRID Kill Dozens in Mexico Posted on September 16, 2013
• INGRID Forces Thousands to Seek Emergency Shelter Posted on September 15, 2013
• Death Toll from Mexico Storms Climbs to 110 Posted on September 23, 2013
• Global Disasters/ Significant Events – September 21, 2013 Posted on September 21, 2013
• The Second Coming of MANUEL Posted on September 19, 2013
• Global Disaster Headlines – September 18, 2013
• Twin Storms Leave 42 Dead, 1.2 Million Battered  September 17, 2013