Hurricane Roslyn leaves 3 dead in Mexico

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Mexican authorities reported three deaths and moderate damage Monday following Hurricane Roslyn's arrival.

In the early hours of Sunday, Mexico's National Water Commission (CONAGUA) reported that Roslyn, a category three hurricane, had reached the country’s western coast.

Registering peak winds of 130 miles (209 kilometers) per hour, meteorological services warned that heavy rains in the states of Nayarit, Sinaloa, Durango and the northern part of Jalisco could cause landslides and flooding.

However, during its path through Mexico, the Mexican weather service downgraded Roslyn to a tropical storm by 1 p.m. local time.

Following Roslyn's landfall, the Mexican government deployed military officers, Navy personnel and the National Guard to attend to the damage reported in the region, which included landslides and power outages, especially in the state of Nayarit.

At a press conference, National Civil Protection Coordinator Laura Velazquez said authorities had located the areas of greatest risk in order to evacuate people to temporary shelters set up by the local government.

But according to the authorities, at least three people died as a result of the hurricane, including two women due to landslides in the area.

"The municipalities most affected by this hurricane, with strong winds and heavy rain, were Tecuala, Acaponeta, Rosamorada, Huajicori and Santiago Ixcuintla, which is where this hurricane made landfall," said Velazquez.

According to Velazquez, Mexico's Ministry of National Defense deployed 2,500 soldiers to evacuate residents, provide support for all shelters and remove debris. In addition, Mexico's Navy employed 225 officers.

To ensure the restoration of electricity, the Federal Electricity Commission sent around 800 technical specialists which have secured over 70% of the power supply in the affected region. ​​​​​​​