Hurricane Jova weakened to a Category 2 tropical storm before it hit the western coast of Mexico early Wednesday morning, bringing heavy rains and powerful winds, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm hit near the town of Chamela in Jalisco on Mexico’s central west coast with winds up to 100 miles per hour in the early morning, the center reported.
Heavy rains brought by the storm caused rivers and streams to overflow flooding some areas but no casualties had been reported, according to Spanish language television station Univision.
Jova weakened further Wednesday morning, with winds decreasing to 65 miles per hour.
In the resort town Puerto Vallarta, people boarded up their houses and businesses as the storm approached, reported Reuters. Local officials set up around 70 shelters for locals in case of flooding and other damage.
The center maintained its tropical storm warning along the coast, stretching 200 miles between Manzanillo and Cabo Corrientes. It added that Jova could produce as much as 12 inches of rain over four states.
The city of Mazanillo, which has the most important commercial port in Mexico, has been closed since late Sunday, Reuters reported.
