Hurricane Pauline Rakes Pacific Coast

Hurricane Pauline roared across the southern Pacific Coast, toppling trees and small homes with winds up to 120 mph and 30-foot waves battering the shoreline. Tourists huddled in hotels, and hundreds of Mexicans sought refuge in 75 emergency shelters as streets filled with chest-deep water. Pauline hit land west of Santa Cruz Huatulco, not far from Puerto Angel in Oaxaca state. Red Cross workers reported no immediate injuries. While forecasters were unsure of Pauline’s exact path, they feared that the hurricane could hit Acapulco, Mexico’s most-populated Pacific resort with 2.9 million inhabitants. Federal officials closed six major ports between Acapulco and Puerto Madero, about 500 miles to the southeast.