Canadians in Mexico prepare as hurricane speeds towards coast

Mexican and international tourists wait for buses to transport them to a shelter ahead of Hurricane Patricia, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Canadians travelling in southwestern Mexico are bracing for a disaster as a powerful hurricane hurls its way towards the country’s Pacific coast.

Hurricane Patricia is classified as a Category-5 storm, and is one of the most powerful on record.

Flights from Canada to the southwest of Mexico have been grounded, and several Mexican airports were closed Friday ahead of the storm’s arrival.

The Hurricane Centre in Miami said the storm could cause flash floods, destructive waves and coastal flooding.

"This is an extremely dangerous, potentially catastrophic hurricane," centre meteorologist Dennis Feltgen said.

Foreign Affairs issued a statement warning Canadians in the region to take shelter and consider leaving if it’s safe enough to do so.

“If Canadians are leaving by land, they should do so without delay, as road closures may occur at short notice,” the notice reads.

The agency says more than 2,000 Canadians are registered in the region, and it is trying to determine how many are actually there.

It is also warning people against non-essential travel to the coast of Mexico, including San Blas to Lazaro Cardenas. That region includes Puerto Vallarta, a popular destination for Canadians.

Some resorts in the area close to the coast have been evacuated as a safety precaution.

BC Football Hall of Fame Director John MacNichol, who is staying at a resort of Nuevo Vallarta with Lui Passaglia and some friends, was moved to a different property around noon Friday and put into a ballroom along with 900 others.

“They have sort of sequestered us in there,” MacNichol told CTV Vancouver, adding that they are being given food and water and feel well provided for.

“There are kids here and seniors – lots of Canadians.”

MacNichol is supposed to return to Vancouver Saturday on a WestJet flight but said he’s not sure what will happen if the storm hits the area hard.

“I don’t know if we’re going to get out of here or not,” he said. “We’re all safe. You just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Vancouverite Jason Hamilton, whose sister Krista is with friends at a resort near where the hurricane is expected to touch down, says she was first instructed to stay in her room – but is now being evacuated to another area with other guests.

“We’re just hoping they have enough supplies, enough food and enough water.”

Hamilton says the resort lost internet capabilities sometime Friday, but he is keeping connected to his sister through text messaging.

“We’re just hoping cell service stays up… so we know they’re alright. We’re just hoping for the best,” he said. “It’s a little scary.”

Canadian realtor Ron Vandenberg, who spends several months a year in Bucerias, just north of the resort town, says he and his neighbours are “hunkering down” in advance of the giant storm.

“We’re getting extra food and water and, basically, looking to survive this thing,” he told CTV Vancouver. “Everything that could be nailed down has been nailed down and moved inside and secured. That’s all we can do right now.”

He says supplies are adequate but there’s a question of whether the vulnerable people who need it most will be able to access it.

“They live in very poor accommodation and if they live near the ocean they’re going to be in trouble,” he said.

Friends and relatives concerned about Canadian citizens in the affected Mexican regions are asked to call DFATD’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre at 1-800-387-3124 or sending an email to [e-mail].