Mexico still on alert as Hurricane Patricia weakens into tropical storm

Several municipalities in the western Mexican state Jalisco on the Pacific coast on Saturday were still on alert as Hurricane Patricia lashed further inland and weakened to a tropical storm.

Hurricane Patricia made landfall in Jalisco Friday evening, bringing strong winds and heavy rain, but causing less damage than feared. The hurricane was downgraded from Category 5 to 4 one hour after the landfall, according to the National Weather Service (SMN).

The Mexican Army have been doing the rounds since the early hours of Saturday, checking highways, local roads, municipal capitals in the region as well as some rural communities.

No casualties have been reported yet, though houses and roads have been damaged in municipalities like Talpa de Allende, Atengo and Mixtlan in Jalisco, which were the hardest hit by Hurricane Patricia.

A total of around 6,300 people stayed the night in 79 shelters and 28 temporary refuges distributed in Jalisco. But most of them have returned home with their families and pets by Saturday afternoon.

Jalisco's State Water Commission predicted that there will be more heavy rains and floods that could adversely affect people in at least twenty municipalities.

Local residents are told to keep a close eye on official information to get to know new safety measures and stay safe. Endit