Torrential rainfall and strong winds from Hurricane Ingrid threatened a wide swath of Mexico's Gulf coast early Monday and Tropical Storm Manuel drenched the country's Pacific coast, as mudslides and flash floods killed 21 people and prompted thousands of evacuations.
Mexico's Civil Protection coordinator Luis Felipe Puenta confirmed 14 deaths in Guerrero, three in Hidalgo, three in Pueblo and one in Oaxaca on Friday.
Ingrid, which strengthened Saturday to become the second hurricane of the Atlantic season, had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph late Sunday and was expected to reach Mexico's eastern coast early Monday, the National Hurricane Center said. A hurricane warning was in effect from Cabo Rojo to La Pesca, and people in South Texas -- including the Brownsville and Corpus Christi areas -- were advised to monitor the storm, Weather.com reported Sunday.
The hurricane was centered about 110 miles northeast of the Tamaulipas state city of Tampico and was moving west-northwest at 6 mph.
The threat of the approaching hurricane led Mexican officials in the Tampico, Madero and Altamira to cancel Independence Day festivities on Sunday and Monday, The Associated Press reported. The Sept. 15-16 events commemorate Mexico's battle for independence from Spain.
In Veracruz, more than 5,000 people were moved to higher ground on Friday as officials issued a hurricane alert for parts of the state ahead of Ingrid. More than 1,000 homes were affected and scores of bridges and highways suffered damage from flooding caused by already heavy rains, the AP reported.
Manuel weakened as it made landfall Sunday afternoon near the western port of Manzanillo, but not without drenching the region first. The National Hurricane Center warned more flash floods and dangerous landslides were possible Monday in the southern states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, particularly in mountainous areas.
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