Mexico readies for Emily, again

LA PESCA, Mexico – Hurricane Emily slowed down late Tuesday night but was still on course to slam into Mexico for a second time as its outer rings began thrashing the country’s northeastern coast and triggered evacuations as far away as southern Texas.

Packing sustained winds of 125 mph, the hurricane’s approach fell by about half to 7 mph, allowing it to strengthen even further over Gulf waters. Emily’s eye was likely to come ashore early this morning, near this small fishing village popular with Mexican and U.S. tourists.

Residents rushed to nail plywood over windows and doors, while Mexican army trucks roamed the streets collecting evacuees laden with suitcases and rolled-up blankets.

The town was among at least 20 low-lying, seaside Mexican communities being emptied of residents before the storm, which was expected to hit a sparsely populated stretch of coastline just south of the Texas border.

In southern Texas, campers emptied beachfront parks on South Padre Island, residents piled sandbags to hold back possible floodwaters and schools were turned into shelters.

Some 150 miles south, in La Pesca, the approaching storm brought a steady wind that blew across the town and breakers skittered toward the abandoned beach.

Felipe Portillo, a 67-year-old fisherman, helped his sons haul five small, fiberglass fishing boats off the beach and up to the roadside, away from the water. Then they planned to head to a shelter inland.

“Overconfidence kills men,” Portillo said. “Running is your best defense.”

Emily hit the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday as a fierce Category 4 storm with 135 mph winds, causing millions of dollars in damage.

The storm weakened, but once back out to sea it strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of 125 mph Tuesday night.