San Jose del Cabo, Mexico – Hurricane Paul roared toward the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula Monday, becoming the third hurricane this season to threaten the resort popular with Hollywood’s elite.
Paul had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and was moving north at about 5 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm’s winds weakened from 105 mph earlier and was downgraded to a Category 1 storm, the center said.
Forecasters predicted it could hit Mexico’s Pacific coast by Wednesday.
A hurricane watch was issued for the tip of Baja California, which has been battered by two other hurricanes this season. The storm was on a course that would bring it just south of the peninsula late tonight.
“We ask ourselves, ‘Why on this date in October?”‘ said Francisco Cota, civil defense director for Los Cabos, adding that officials try to “stress that the season is not over yet.”
A light rain fell in Cabo San Lucas as employees at the upscale Hotel Finisterra passed out the latest weather report to keep guests updated on the storm. They also were scrambling to organize indoor activities.
Some, however, weren’t sticking around. Lines snaked from ticket counters at the airport.
Charles Bataglia, 38, of Chicago cut his week-long deep-sea- fishing trip short but was unable to get a flight home. Instead, he bought a ticket for Guadalajara in western Mexico.
“I didn’t want to be trapped for four or five days. I have two young children. My wife works full time. I work full time,” he said. “There were definitely some difficulties trying to locate a ticket. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find my way home through Guadalajara.”
