Ingrid Weakens to Tropical Storm as It Goes Ashore in Mexico

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Ingrid weakened to a tropical storm as it went ashore near La Pesca, Mexico, still threating to drop flooding rains across the eastern portion of the county.

The remnants of Pacific storm Manuel, along with Ingrid, are expected to leave 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of rain in some areas, with others receiving as much as 25 inches, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

“These rains are likely to result in life-threatening flash floods and mud slides,” the center said in an advisory at 7 a.m. Mexico City time.

An estimated 6,000 people were evacuated in the state of Veracruz, Mexico’s Reforma newspaper reported on Sept. 14. Heavy rain and landslides caused by Ingrid and Manuel have caused at least 21 deaths, according to the Associated Press.

Ingrid, the second hurricane of the Atlantic season, was over La Pesca and moving west-northwest at 10 miles per hour, according to the center in Miami. Its top sustained winds fell to 65 mph from 75 mph earlier.

Mexico canceled all hurricane warnings and watches associated with the storm. A tropical storm warning is in place from Cabo Rojo to Rio San Fernando.

Over the weekend, Ingrid drifted west across the Bay of Campeche where Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico’s state-owned oil company known as Pemex, has its two largest oil fields. They produce about 1.25 million barrels a day.

Pemex suspended air and sea operations at its rigs in the bay, according to a company statement last week. The oil ports of Cayo Arcas, which processes about 68 percent of Mexico’s crude exports, and Dos Bocas were closed, the country’s Merchant Marine said in a weather bulletin dated Sept. 14.

The storm is expected to track across central Mexico and won’t be a threat to U.S. energy interests in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is home to about 23 percent of U.S. crude production, 5.6 percent of gas output, and more than 45 percent of petroleum refining capacity, according to data from the Energy Department.

(With assistance from Richard Jarvie in Buenos Aires, Jonathan Roeder in Mexico City, Ann Koh in Singapore, Firat Kayakiran in London, Dan Hart in Washington, Nathan Gill in Quito, Greg Ahlstrand in Hong Kong and Edward Welsch in Calgary. Editors: Charlotte Porter, Bill Banker)