Carlos’ 70-mph winds buffet Acapulco, Mexican coastline

ACAPULCO, Mexico – Workers cleared hammocks and lounge chairs from beachside hotels and cafes as Tropical Storm Carlos whipped up strong winds and waves Sunday as it churned up Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Carlos lost its brief hurricane status early in the day then picked up a little strength before stabilizing at just below hurricane strength. By late Sunday, the storm’s center was 95 miles west of Acapulco and had top sustained winds of 70 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm was moving northwest about 6 mph and the hurricane center forecast it probably would not gain much more intensity during the next 48 hours, but noted that only a slight increase would return Carlos to hurricane status.

There were no reports of serious damage and only one injury, someone who fell from a fence, said Jonathan Capote, spokesman for Guerrero state’s Civil Protection agency.

“Aside from a few fallen billboards and trees, we haven’t had any damage,” he said.

Beaches along the iconic Acapulco Bay, normally filled with families on a weekend afternoon, were nearly deserted as waves almost 6 feet high broke against the shore, washing away 16 small palm-frond huts.

Officials said schools would be closed today and urged residents to stay inside their homes. State authorities said 507 shelters, including 98 in Acapulco, had been prepared along Guerrero’s coast.

Coastal areas to the north of Acapulco, as far as Michoacan state, also were taking precautions, and beaches there were less busy than usual.