Mexico’s federal government has deployed 19,000 members of the armed forces as part of an emergency prevention plan to protect residents in the path of Hurricane Polo, one of the most powerful storms to form in the Mexican Pacific in recent memory.
The troops have been sent to four states along the coast—Guerrero, Colima, Michoacán, and Jalisco—to help evacuate vulnerable communities, secure shelters, and respond quickly once the storm makes landfall or passes close to shore. Guerrero includes the resort city of Acapulco, where residents are watching the storm’s approach with growing unease after previous hurricanes have caused deadly flooding and destruction in the region.
Meteorologists say Polo has become the second-most intense hurricane ever recorded in this part of the Pacific. Unusually warm ocean waters have fueled the storm, causing it to fluctuate rapidly between category 4 and category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale—the two most dangerous classifications, capable of producing catastrophic wind damage and life-threatening storm surge.
Mexican officials have not yet detailed the full scope of expected damage, but the scale of the military deployment underscores concern that Polo could strike a densely populated stretch of coastline. Authorities are urging residents in the affected states to follow evacuation orders and civil protection guidance as the storm continues to move through the region.
For more details and video coverage, check out the original report from Telemundo.
Source: El Gobierno de México despliega 19,000 militares para ayudar ante los estragos del huracán Polo (telemundo.com).
Image: NASA Goddard Photo and Video, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).