Rain warning for Mexico’s south Gulf coast as TS Karl nears

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Karl is headed for an expected landfall Friday on an easily flooded stretch of Mexico’s southern Gulf coast.

The storm was expected to hit Tabasco state or neighboring Campeche by late Friday.

Karl had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) on Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was centered about 85 miles (140 kilometers) northwest of Ciudad del Carmen and headed south at 6 mph (9 kph).

The storm was expected to come ashore somewhere around the riverside cities of Paraiso and Frontera, Tabasco, and the nearby oil industry hub of Ciudad del Carmen. All have often flooded in the past.

“The rains forecast could cause mudslides, rising levels in rivers and streams, and flooding in low-lying areas,” Mexico’s National Water Commission said in a statement.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Coatzacoalcos to Sabancuy.

Tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph (63 kph) extended outward as far as 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the center.

The hurricane center said Karl could drop 2 to 5 inches (5 to 13 centimeters) of rain across portions of Veracruz and Tabasco as well as northern Chiapas and Oaxaca states through Sunday morning. It said as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) could fall in isolated spots.