Associated Press
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico – Juliette’s winds fell below hurricane strength on Friday, but rain and waves continued pounding resorts at the tip of the Baja California peninsula.
Juliette, now categorized a tropical storm as winds dropped to 70 mph, stalled Friday, smashing docks, ripping off roofs and tossing uprooted trees into flooded streets. Storms are listed as hurricanes when winds hit 74 mph.
About 800 people were evacuated from flimsy housing in Cabo San Lucas, a resort city of 25,000 people, but there were no new reports of major injuries. Juliette killed two people earlier in the week farther south in Mexico.
Luxury beachfront hotels withstood the storm, but windows were shattered and swimming pools clogged with storm-blown sand.
Sheets of rain blasted through the open-air lobby of the seaside Solmar resort. Shivering tourists in soaked T-shirts and shorts waited for the local airport to reopen and the restoration of telephone service.
The storm was expected to edge up the Baja California coastline. Though it was unlikely to reach the U.S. border, forecasters said it could spread rains into the southwestern United States.
The storm has been blamed for the deaths of two people – a Denver, Colo., surfer and a fisherman.
The hurricane center said 6 to 8 inches of rain were likely in the hurricane’s path, posing the threat of flash floods and mud slides.
Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.