The strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in May in the eastern Pacific has swept ashore on a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns in southern Mexico.
Torrential rains and howling winds from Hurricane Agatha whipped palm trees and drove tourists and residents into shelters. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says it made landfall as a strong Category 2 hurricane Monday afternoon about 5 miles west of Puerto Angel in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca.
That region includes the laid-back tourist resorts of Huatulco, Mazunte and Zipolite. Agatha had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
The National Hurricane Center said hurricane-force winds extended 15 miles from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend 90 miles.
Heavy rains associated with Agatha will continue over portions of southern Mexico through Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center warned that this could pose a threat of potentially life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.
