Hurricane Agatha

Hurricane Agatha made landfall as a category two hurricane and soon passed directly over our Pochutla base. The team experienced extreme winds and rain which resulted in flooding of the base but the team has reported that everyone is safe. The worst of the storm has passed over the base, however, heavy rains are still expected through portions of southern Mexico.

Hurricane Agatha currently has sustained winds near 110 mph (175 km/h) with strong wind gusts. There is little expected to change in strength as Agatha is forecasted to make landfall in Oaxaca later this afternoon or evening. As a category two, there is a potential for extremely dangerous coastal flooding from storm surge and life-threatening hurricane-force winds. Agatha is anticipated to cause heavy rains over portions of southern Mexico through Tuesday.

Our team in Pochutla is sheltering in place in preparation for the oncoming storm. Stay up to date with All Hands and Hearts’ hurricane responses by following our Storm Tracker.

Tropical Storm Agatha is strengthening and is currently 200 miles off the coast of Mexico.  Though the track and intensity remain uncertain, it was upgraded to a hurricane this morning and is likely to hit the coast of Oaxaca by 7 PM Monday as a Category 2 Hurricane.  Current max sustained winds are close to 85 mph and are anticipated to intensify to major hurricane strength by the time it turns northeast and makes landfall.  There is a risk of heavy rainfall over the next several days, flooding, storm surge, and landslides in the area.

The Program in Pochutla is in the anticipated path of the storm and the team is activating their emergency plans and preparing for a complete lockdown. Follow our Storm Tracker to stay up to date with disasters this hurricane season.