The category-5 storm is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere.
Hurricane Patricia, the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere, is expected to make landfall in southwestern Mexico tonight. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is preparing to respond to the impending emergency.
Staff from ADRA Mexico have been monitoring the approach of Hurricane Patricia and are on standby to conduct a rapid needs assessment as soon as safely possible. The team is organizing local volunteers and supply distributers for emergency response.
With 200-mph winds, Hurricane Patricia is the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere. While fluctuation is possible, it is expected to remain a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane as it makes landfall.
In addition to powerful winds, the US National Hurricane Center has warned of dangerous surf and heavy rainfall which “could produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.”
To compare, Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines in 2013 with sustained winds of 195-mph. More than 6,000 people died, largely as a result of storm surges in coastal areas.
