Simon Threatens Mexico Coast as Pacific Storm Season Sets Record

On October 12, 2026, Hurricane Simon was moving along Mexico’s west coast as a Category 3 storm, threatening southwestern states with destructive winds, flooding rain and storm surge while the eastern and central Pacific recorded its busiest season by cumulative strong-wind activity.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Simon was expected to bring life-threatening flooding in several Mexican states, with up to 30 inches of rain possible in areas near its path. Weather.com reported that the storm could trigger dangerous landslides in hilly and mountainous terrain.

Weather.com reported that a hurricane warning was in effect from Punta San Telmo to El Roblito, including Las Islas Marias. The storm was also expected to affect areas near Puerto Vallarta, where it could become the strongest and most damaging hurricane influence in three years.

The record-setting Pacific activity was linked by meteorologists to an active 2026 season, with Hurricane Simon pushing the eastern and central Pacific beyond the previous record for cumulative duration of strong winds set in 2018. Yahoo reported that the pattern was associated with strong El Niño conditions and warmer ocean temperatures.

Simon’s moisture was also expected to spread beyond Mexico. Yahoo reported that remnants of the storm could contribute to severe storms and flooding risks from Texas to Missouri from Tuesday through Thursday.

Earlier tropical activity also affected the western United States. Weather.com reported that the remnants of Hurricane Rachel brought heavy rain and flooding threats across the Desert Southwest, with widespread totals of 1 to 5 inches and locally higher amounts possible.

Las Vegas received 1.08 inches of rain from Rachel’s remnants on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service there, matching the city’s daily record for October. Some locations north and west of Las Vegas recorded 2 to 3 inches, with reports of swift water rescues.

Scientists continue to study how hurricane size, movement and ocean conditions influence rainfall. Yahoo reported that large storms are not always the wettest, because rainfall impacts depend heavily on how long a storm remains over one area.

Hurricane Harvey demonstrated that effect after it stalled over the Houston area in 2017. Yahoo reported that Harvey dropped an estimated 27 trillion gallons of water across Texas, including 60.58 inches of rain in Nederland over four days.

Storm speed can change rainfall outcomes significantly. Yahoo reported that Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm in 2018, produced rainfall totals of 6 to 10 inches along its path because it moved quickly, while slower storms produced much higher local totals.

Hurricane size also varies widely among storms. Yahoo reported that Super Typhoon Tip in 1979 reached about 1,380 miles across, while Tropical Storm Marco in 2008 measured about 23 miles across, showing that both large and small systems can create major impacts.