Threatening Hurricane Nolo takes aim at Hawaii as Polo slams Mexicos coast

MEXICO CITY — Residents along Mexico’s west coast stacked sandbags to fortify beachfront shops and evacuated their homes, while Hawaii’s Big Island and Maui braced for potentially catastrophic flooding, as separate hurricanes swirled in the Pacific on Thursday.Nolo became a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday night and was expected to strengthen while turning toward the Big Island, the National Hurricane Center said.Forecasters warned that the Big Island could see rainfall totals of 15 to 30 inches (38 to 76 centimeters), with higher amounts possible through Saturday.

The island of Maui also could be hit with life-threatening floods, the hurricane center said.Meanwhile, heavy rains from powerful Hurricane Polo could cause torrential flooding and landslides in Mexico, according to the US hurricane center.In the port city of Lázaro Cárdenas, seawater already swept through homes Thursday and left wooden planks and furniture strewn on the streets.Polo has fluctuated between Category 4 and 5, both major-hurricane strength.

It was expected to regain Category 5 status on Friday, then gradually weaken Friday night and Saturday, the hurricane center said.After skirting Mexico’s coast, Polo was expected to move farther out to sea Thursday night and Friday before hooking back toward land to the north on Saturday.The series of powerful storms comes as the weather phenomenon El Niño prompts major environmental shifts across the world, fueling drought in some areas and flooding in others.El Niño traditionally dampens the Atlantic hurricane season, while it tends to rev up tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific with moist air and little wind shear.Hawaii has been battered this year by major flooding in the spring, an earthquake and two other hurricanes since mid-August.“In my 20 years of experience here, I’ve never seen three hurricane watches for the islands in the same year,” said John Bravender of the National Weather Service in Honolulu.Mexican au...