Cat 5 hurricane will slam Puerto Vallarta and central Mexico today

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/23/451095491/with-200-mph-winds-hurricane-patricia-closes-in-on-mexico?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews



The most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific will make a "potentially catastrophic landfall" in southwestern Mexico Friday, the National Weather Service says. Hurricane Patricia is bringing winds that now top 200 mph; it's expected to strike Friday afternoon or evening.

"This is the equivalent of a giant EF5 tornado spinning over the Pacific Ocean," says meteorologist Travis Herzog of ABC-13 TV in Houston. "If Patricia maintains anything near this intensity at landfall in Mexico today, it will be unimaginably catastrophic."

The Category 5 storm has forced evacuations in Puerto Vallarta and other areas along Mexico's coast. Forecasters say that in addition to destructive winds, Patricia could bring dangerous flash-flooding and mudslides. The storm is currently projecting hurricane-force winds up to 30 miles from its center.