Tropical storm Julio drenching southern Baja
Tropical storm Julio is spinning just off the tip of Baja California. No reports yet from Cabo San Lucas, but the port is surely closed, and the town is bracing for Julio's landfall, expected later today.
Reports Eric Brictson of Gordo Banks Pangas in nearby San Jose del Cabo: "Local fleets are busy relocating their charter boats and making all necessary preparations for their personal families and properties."
Farther up the peninsula, in the East Cape region, one resort sportfishing fleet is scrambling to pull boats, while others have already done so. Buena Vista resident Mark Rayor said he watched as a crew tried in vain to pull a rain-filled 28-foot cruiser out on a trailer.
"They can't bail it because waves keep coming over the transom," Rayor said as the drama was unfolding. Rayor then added that visibility went to "zero" because of rain.
Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center had extended its storm warning, which is as follows:
"The government of Mexico has extended the tropical storm warning northward along the west coast of Baja California to Punta Abreojos ... and northward along the east coast to Mulege. A tropical storm warning is now in effect from Punta Abreojos on the west coast around the peninsula and northward to Mulege on the east coast. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours."
With luck, the fleets will be operational within a day or two. It depends on whether Julio tracks to the west, as anticipated, stalls or turns east.
--Pete Thomas
Image by National Hurricane Center
