WeatherFanatics: Sonia Could Bring More Flooding to Mexico

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sonia Could Bring More Flooding to Mexico

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

November 3,2013; 4:09PM,EST

Now a tropical storm in the Eastern Pacific, Sonia is bringing a new round of dangerous and life-threatening flooding and mudslides to areas in Mexico already hit hard since the summer.
Tropical Storm Sonia will continue to track northeastward through Monday, reaching part of the west coast of Mexico.
States to watch in Mexico for heavy rain and flooding issues include southern Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Durango, Chihuahua and northern Nayarit.

This satellite image of Sonia, courtesy of NOAA, was taken midday Sunday.
Mexico cities that could experience flooding problems include Mazatlan, Culiacan and Los Mochis. There is the potential for 5 to 10 inches of rain as Sonia moves inland and the moisture is squeezed out over the southwestern-facing slopes along the Mexico mainland.
Along the path of Sonia, wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph will whip the immediate coastline and the inland mountains.
Similar to what happened Raymond's moisture last week, some moisture from Sonia will survive the trip over the Mexico mountains and will join up with a new storm forecast to affect Texas and the southern Plains as this week progresses.
RELATED:
Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center
AccuWeather.com Mexico Forecast Center
Latest Statistics on Sonia
Enough rain could fall in the South Central states to bring a new round of flash and urban flooding from Tuesday through Wednesday.

The Eastern Pacific has produced 18 tropical systems, including Sonia, through early November, including eight hurricanes. Three (Barbara, Manuel and Octave) have made landfall along the west coast of Mexico this season yielding flooding rainfall. However, five others (Erick, Ivo, Julliette, Lorena and Raymond) that paralleled the coast just offshore also brought swaths of rain and flooding.
Manuel and Octave caused significant rain and flooding in the southern Gulf of California region.
At least four other systems (Barry, Fernand, Ingrid and Karen) from the Atlantic Basin brought heavy rain and flooding to some eastern portions of Mexico this season.
This story was written and published on Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, and has since been updated.

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