# Hurricane Simon bears down on Mexico with 155 mph winds

> The near-Category 5 storm is expected to make landfall in southwestern Mexico on Sunday, bringing catastrophic rain and storm surge to popular tourist areas.
- Title: Hurricane Simon bears down on Mexico with 155 mph winds · NPR
- Summary: The near-Category 5 storm is expected to make landfall in southwestern Mexico on Sunday, bringing catastrophic rain and storm surge to popular tourist areas…
- Keywords: hurricane simon, mexico, puerto vallarta, tropical cyclones, natural disasters, weather, news, Hurricane, Simon, bears, 155, mph
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/10/11/nx-s1-5998022/hurricane-simon-nears-mexico-155-mph-winds-flooding-fears
- Published: 2026-10-11T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: hurricane simon, mexico, puerto vallarta, tropical cyclones, natural disasters, weather, news
## Simon strengthens to near-Category 5
Hurricane Simon has reached one hundred fifty five miles per hour winds, just below the threshold for Category five on the Saffir Simpson scale. The storm is about sixty miles west-southwest of Manzanilla.
## Catastrophic rainfall expected across southwestern states
Simon could bring ten to twenty inches of rain over parts of southwestern Mexico, with some areas in Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco receiving up to thirty inches. The rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides.

> This rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.
## Jalisco suspends classes and evacuates residents
Jalisco state suspended classes on Friday and Monday in twenty two coastal municipalities and began evacuating dozens of people from at-risk areas. Puerto Vallarta businesses boarded up windows as the storm approached Saturday.
## Landfall expected Sunday with dangerous storm surge
The eye of Hurricane Simon was just off Mexico's Pacific coast early Sunday and expected to move inland later that day.The hurricane center warned of dangerous storm surge and large destructive waves near the coast.
## Key takeaway

Hurricane Simon, with winds of one hundred fifty five miles per hour, is approaching Mexico's Pacific coast and expected to bring life-threatening flooding and mudslides to southwestern states.