Tropical Storm Barbara near hurricane
strength off Mexican coast
Published on May 30, 2013
1:33 AM
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Hurricane Barbara is visible (lower R) in this satellite image taken on May 29, 2013 at 14:15 EST/02:15 GMT courtesy of
NASA - NOAA GOES Project. Tropical Storm Barbara became a hurricane in the Pacific as it neared Mexico's southern
coast and forged a course towards the country's biggest oil refinery, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.
Tropical Storm Barbara picked up speed on Wednesday and steamed towards a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's
southern Pacific coast, with forecasters predicting it would still reach hurricane strength before hitting land later in the day. - PHOTO: REUTERS
OAXACA (Mexico) (AP) - Tropical Storm Barbara picked up speed on Wednesday and steamed towards a
sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's southern Pacific coast, with forecasters predicting it would still
reach hurricane strength before hitting land later in the day.
Officials in the southern coastal state of Oaxaca rushed to prepare emergency shelters and suspended
classes for schoolchildren in coastal communities as rain began to lash the coast.
Barbara was located about 64km offshore and was moving north-east towards land at about 20kmh, the
United States National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.
"We still anticipate that Barbara will become a hurricane in a few hours," the hurricane centre reported.
The stretch of coast east of the port city of Salina Cruz, where Barbara would make landfall, is a largely
undeveloped stretch of coastal lagoons, punctuated by small fishing villages. The major oil port of
Coatzacoalcos is located on the other side of the narrow waist of Mexico known as the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec. But the centre said the storm should weaken rapidly once it hits land, well before reaching
Coatzacoalcos.
Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the Pacific coast from Puerto Angel to Barra de Tonala.
Barbara's maximum sustained winds held at around 100kmh, about 14.4kmh short of hurricane strength.
Oaxaca state civil defence director Manuel Maza Sanchez said ports had been closed to navigation in the
tourist resorts of Puerto Angel, Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, all located more than 200km to the west.
Rain had begun to fall along the coast on Wednesday, flooding some homes, he said.
He added that classes would be cancelled at schools along the coast for the rest of the week, and that storm
shelters were being set up in 20 towns and hamlets.
Such shelters are frequently installed at local schools.
Evacuation at Copahue volcano picks up pace
Published on May 30, 2013
6:32 AM
Local farmers from the Trapa Trapa area, in the vicinity of the Copahue volcano, Bio Bio region, Chile, are taken to a shelter
on May 29, 2013. Chile officials say all people living near the increasingly active Copahue volcano bordering Argentina are
agreeing to evacuate after the countries issued a red alert. -- PHOTO: AFP
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SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - Chile officials say all people living near the increasingly active Copahue
volcano bordering Argentina are agreeing to evacuate after the countries issued a red alert.
Officials said on Wednesday the evacuation was delayed, but picked up pace after a deal was reached with
people on the Chilean side.
The nearly 2,965m Copahue sits in the Andes cordillera, between Chile's Bio Bio region and Argentina's
Neuquen province. The countries together ordered 3,000 people to evacuate.
Those living in the volcano's foothills on the Chilean side own about 21,000 head of cattle. They had
refused to leave unless the state promised to care for the animals.
Copahue last registered increased seismic activity in December when an ash cloud billowed almost 1.5km
high prompting authorities to issue a red alert.