After roaring ashore about 55 miles north of the town of Manzanillo, Hurricane Patricia headed inland in a roughly north-easterly direction over rugged mountainous terrain. Patricia has weakened somewhat since the eye moved over land, and is now rated as a Category 4 hurricane. Heavy rainfall of up to 20 inches is expected to cause flooding, landslides, and mud flows in many of the steep mountain valleys.
The massive storm is forecast to continue across northern Mexico, gradually breaking up into a mass of rainstorms over Texas through the weekend. Northern Texas is already experiencing heavy rain and flooding from a stalled cool front, and the remains of Patricia are expected to merge and exacerbate the flooding conditions.
Although existing heavy rain will probably continue in northern Texas, areas across the southern part of the state, from San Antonio to Houston, are especially likely to be hard hit over the weekend. Depending on the final path of Patricia’s remnants, the Houston area might receive from 6 to 20 inches of rain on Saturday and Sunday.
Residents across Texas should take precautions against flooding, and regularly check local weather forecasts throughout the weekend for safety alerts and public notices.