Hurricane Polo slammed into Mexico’s Baja California Sur coast Monday night and is now pushing flooding rainfall toward the American Southwest, with emergency crews already pulling drivers from submerged highways in New Mexico.
The storm came ashore just south of the small town of Las Barrancas, likely as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of roughly 105 to 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. By early Tuesday, Polo had weakened over land but was still producing hurricane-force winds of 75 mph and higher gusts, the agency said.
The storm’s reach extends far beyond its center. Crisis Response International warned in a social media post that as much as “34 trillion gallons of rainfall headed toward the Southwest and Central U.S.” could result as the system moves inland. That massive volume of water is already showing its effects.
Flash flooding overtook Interstate 25 in Hatch, New Mexico, near Las Cruces, as heavy rain soaked the region. Firefighters performed water rescues as the Rio Grande swelled beyond its banks, according to video shared from the scene. The National Weather Service issued a bulletin for parts of west Texas and New Mexico warning of “potentially life-threatening flash flooding” through early Wednesday.
The threat shifts farther east through Thursday, with possible flash flooding from central Texas to central Oklahoma. “Several inches of rain are possible, with 5–6+ inches possible across parts of Texas,” one meteorologist wrote on social media. “Repeated rounds of storms could cause rainfall to pile up quickly, leading to life-threatening flash flooding.”
Before turning toward the United States, Polo had already battered Mexico’s Pacific coast with torrential rain, destructive waves and violent winds, leaving flooded streets and damaged properties in its wake. Forecasters are warning that the storm’s soaking rains could trigger life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, particularly in mountainous areas.
Southern California is seeing the storm’s effects ease, though not disappear entirely. The National Weather Service on Tuesday ended an earlier warning for high surf and coastal flooding for Los Angeles and Orange counties, but cautioned that dangerous ocean conditions could linger.
“The surf from Hurricane Polo has peaked and will lower rather quickly through Wednesday, but strong rip currents may linger,” the agency’s bulletin read. “While the high tide will be lower on Wednesday compared to today, it will lower only a little and will likely still be above 7.0 feet.”
Polo may not be the last storm to trouble the coast. Tropical Storm Rachel was nearing hurricane strength Tuesday as it moved along Mexico’s southwestern coast, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Rachel is expected to produce “larger” swells than Polo along Southern California early to mid-next week.
“Large waves could produce life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along portions of the southwestern coast of Mexico during the next several days,” the NHC added.
The full journey of Hurricane Polo saw the storm reach Category 5 intensity three times before making two landfalls over Baja California Sur and then Sonora, Mexico, according to tracking data shared by meteorologists monitoring the system.
Rachel’s approach will keep coastal communities on alert as Polo continues its inland march across the Southwest.