ACAPULCO, Mexico, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Residents of Mexico's Pacific beach towns were preparing for heavy rain and dangerous surf on Wednesday as Hurricane Polo, a powerful Category 4 storm, tracked northwestward just offshore, threatening flooding and mudslides along the country's southwestern coast.
The US National Hurricane Center said Polo is expected to continue moving slowly along the coast between the fishing town Zihuatanejo and port hub Manzanillo, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) at 3 p.m. local time.
The center of the hurricane was forecast to track along the edge of southwestern Mexico through Thursday morning before gradually turning farther out to sea. Meanwhile, the storm's outer rainbands were already affecting the coast, where tropical storm warnings and watches remained in place.
In resort town Acapulco, rough surf pounded the shoreline, rain swept across the bay and strong winds bent palm trees. Merchants reinforced stall roofs as boats remained anchored in the bay.
"As they gave us a warning yesterday, I started getting my documents in order and half-packed my things, just in case," local resident Andrea Tenorio said. She said a nearby elementary school had been opened as a temporary shelter.
Asked whether she was afraid, Tenorio said memories of Hurricane Otis still haunted residents.
"With Otis, we were left with trauma," she said. "We haven't been able to overcome it."
Hurricane Otis slammed into Acapulco in October 2023 as a Category 5 storm, killing dozens and flattening the coastal town.
Polo is expected to dump 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of rain across coastal Guerrero state, with isolated totals of up to 8 inches (20 cm), the NHC said. That could trigger life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in mountainous areas. Lower but still significant rainfall was forecast for parts of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states.
"Fluctuations in intensity are expected, but Polo is expected to remain a very powerful major hurricane during the next few days," the NHC said.
(Reporting by Troy Merida in Acapulco, Aida Pelaez-Fernandez in Barcelona and Cassandra Garrison and Natalia Siniawski in Mexico City; Editing by Kim Coghill, Iñigo Alexander and Bill Berkrot)
