Mexicans prepare as Hurricane Norma approaches

Hurricane Norma on Friday once again strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it approaches on Mexico's Pacific coast. The hurricane is packing maximum winds of 195 kilometers per hour, the US National Hurricane Center said. It had been a Category 2 storm earlier in the day.
Late Friday, the eye of the storm was located roughly 200 kilometers south of the town. About 60,000 mostly foreign tourists are currently visiting the resort. The government activated a national emergency plan ahead of the storm's arrival.
More than 6,600 soldiers were placed on alert in the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur, said the national defense secretariat. Authorities are warning of potential flash floods, mudslides in higher areas, as well dangerous surf. Hurricanes hit Mexico every year on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November.