Thursday, September 26

Hurricane John is expected to make another landfall in southern Mexico later today after battering the region with heavy rain and strong winds for the past few days.

John began as a weak tropical depression over the weekend off the coast, and was originally expected to make landfall as a weak tropical storm. However, the system slowly drifted northward over extremely warm waters, causing it to rapidly intensify into a Category 3 hurricane packing winds of over 120 mph and heavy rain.

John made landfall on Monday night in the southern state of Guerrero, slowly moving westward over the region. The storm also passed directly over the city of Acapulco, a coastal tourist destination that is home to around 850,000 people, bringing landslides to the mountainous region. Guerrero is where the Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range meets the sea, so landslides and mudslides are common after heavy rainfall. Roofs were blown completely off of some houses, and numerous trees fell and blocked roads all over the state.

The storm dumped totals of over a foot of rain in some areas, and more is expected. After making landfall, John drifted west over Acapulco, greatly weakening along the way. By the time it eventually moved back out into the sea, the system was a mere tropical depression, carrying meager winds of 35 mph. However, the rain still made an impact in Guerrero and the states around it. In total, around 60,000 people are out of power and at least three people are dead due to the dangerous landslides.

Now, John has restrengthened into a hurricane once again, and is heading towards the neighboring state of Michoacán with winds of 75 mph and more intense rainfall. More mudslides and landslides are expected, but the system should finally fizzle out after making landfall in Michoacán as winds will carry it farther into the mountains, avoiding restrengthening of the storm.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): While 68% of Earth's landmass is in the northern hemisphere, a staggering 90% of the world's population lives in it.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): We can’t change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust the sails. (Indian Proverb)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ilk (noun)- Ilk is a noun that means "sort" or "kind." It is usually used in short phrases with and or of, as in "and that ilk" and "of their ilk."

In a Sentence: The hole beneath the stairs of the cabin's porch allows in squirrels, woodchucks, and other creatures of that ilk.