XALAPA, Mexico, June 30, 2011 (AFP) - Strong winds and heavy rain lashed much of eastern Mexico Thursday as Tropical Storm Arlene made landfall at near hurricane strength, whipping up huge waves in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ports in Veracruz state were closed due to waves reaching six meters (20 feet) in height, the local Civil Protection office reported. Forecasters predicted constant rain would continue until the weekend. The US National Hurricane Center said Arlene barreled ashore at Cabo Rojo, a cape just off the mainland in Veracruz state, packing sustained winds of 100 kilometers (65 miles) per hour, with higher gusts. But it dissipated quickly and by 0300 GMT the NHC said Arlene had faded over the Sierra Madre mountains, leaving only remnants of the first named Atlantic storm of the season and winds of 45 kilometers (30 miles) per hour. Arlene "is expected to produce additional rainfall accumulations of 7.6 to 12.7 centimeters (three to five inches) over eastern and northeastern Mexico through Friday afternoon," the NHC said, warning that "these rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides."
One person was electrocuted in the port of Tampico after touching an electricity pole that had been downed by the winds, said Pedro Benavides, chief of the civil protection rescue service in the state of Tamaulipas, which neighbors Veracruz. Veracruz and Tamaulipas went on high alert, and several ports were shuttered due to the stormy surf. Veracruz Governor Javier Duarte said 178,000 people were affected by the punishing rains. Mexico's navy and army opened 398 shelters Thursday and were monitoring area rivers for possible flooding, officials said. In the central state of Puebla, the heavy rain triggered landslides that damaged homes and blocked highways, local officials reported. State-run oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) issued an alert for its facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, ensuring that safety measures were implemented for its platforms and that ships were secured.
Mexico was struck last year by what the government described as the wettest rainy season on record. Tropical storms and hurricanes caused flooding and mudslides that killed 125 people, left hundreds of thousands homeless, and caused damages of more than $4 billion.
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