Wilma: nightmare for Mexico

[phantom power]

Wilma's impact on Mexico is likely to be catastrophic. A 50-mile wide stretch of coast will receive Category 4 to 5 sustained winds of over 150 mph, causing incredible damage. As Wilma sits in place for two days, the long duration of high winds will cause far more damage than a quickly moving storm would. The long duration extreme winds will probably cause some of the worst wind damage ever seen in a hurricane. The storm surge will not be as much as a problem, because deep water just offshore will prevent a huge storm surge from piling up. Still, the expected storm surge of up to 11 feet will cause widespread damage to coastal structures.In adddition, rainfall amounts of 15 - 25 will cause serious flooding. Wilma is likely to be Mexico's worst weather disaster in history.
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=201&tstamp=200510

[phusion]

1. yikes...Stan was bad, too.

http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=644004605

MEXICO CITY -- Coffee-growing communities across southern Mexico and Central America, suffering from years of depressed global prices, have been among the hardest hit by two weeks of flooding and mudslides caused by Hurricane Stan.

As the victims, reported to be at least 1,500, are buried and the magnitude of the devastation is assessed, consensus is building that many of the regions' most important coffee-producing areas bore the brunt of the damage.

<snip>

In Mexico, some of the oldest coffee estates in the southern state of Chiapas were reported to have been washed away by the floods. Individual cooperatives in Guatemala are beginning to report the damage, which includes losses of 20% to as much as 80% of the country's 2005-06 harvest.

[phantom power]

2. Mexico has been hit with several rounds of catastrophic flooding.

I'm sure the mountain terrain is an awful combination with any tropical storm. The potential for rains, flooding, mudslides, etc, is off the chart.