Footage recorded in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, shows the power of Hurricane Lidia as the storm battered the area with strong winds and heavy rains.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Dramatic images and videos showing the power of Hurricane Lidia emerged in Mexico after the Category 4 hurricane made landfall on Tuesday night south of the popular resort town of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s west-central coast.
The storm battered the region with winds of up to 140 mph and torrential rains that caused flooding and mudslides that killed at least two people.
Streets in West Huatlan, Mexico, were flooded after the Malabasco River overflowed during Hurricane Lidia.
(Protection of Civil Rights Act/Facebook)
Photos posted on the Proteccion Civil Ac Facebook page showed the Malabasco River in West Waterland overflowing, inundating local communities with several feet of water. Officials said in a Facebook post that evacuations were underway and support was being provided to those who had been told to leave the area.
Other photos showed vehicles trying to drive across flooded roads while residents watched from nearby sidewalks.
A car attempts to drive through floodwaters as the Malabasco River overflows during Hurricane Lidia in Cihuatlán, Mexico.
(Protection of Civil Rights Act/Facebook)
Lydia worked to intensify as it approached Mexico, eventually becoming a Category 1 hurricane late Monday night.The storm at that time rapidly intensify It reached Category 4 status throughout the day Tuesday before making landfall south of Puerto Vallarta near Las Penitas, Jalisco.
Hurricane Lidia made landfall in Mexico on Tuesday night, and footage from Puerto Vallarta showed the storm bringing damaging winds and heavy rains to the region.
Video of Puerto Vallarta as the storm made landfall showed damaging winds battering the area, palm trees swaying and bending and torrential rains pummeling the area.
A bright blue flash could be seen in the distance as a transformer exploded and cut power to residents.
Other photos posted on the Proteccion Civil Ac Facebook page showed workers trying to clear large trees that had fallen on roads during the height of Hurricane Lidia.
Roofs were ripped off buildings and trees were downed along Federal Highway 200, which connects West Waterland to Puerto Vallarta, according to a Facebook post.
Other photos showed mudslides covering parts of federal Highway 200, making them nearly impassable.
Daylight on Wednesday revealed the extent of the damage, particularly in the southwestern Mexican state of Jalisco.
Storm damage in Lidia, Jalisco, Mexico. Intersection of the Autlán de Navarro-Villa Purificación highway.
(@EnriqueAlfaroR/X/Fox Weather)
Photos shared by Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro showed debris being swept onto an overpass as the river below swollen during Lidia. Additionally, roads were strewn with rocks due to landslides triggered by the storm.
