Category 4 hurricane threatens Mexico's Los Cabos

By The Associated Press

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — Emergency workers built shelters for thousands of endangered families as a strengthening Hurricane Jimena roared toward Mexico's resort-studded Baja California Peninsula on Monday.

Jimena, a dangerous Category 4 storm, could rake the southern peninsula by Tuesday evening, forecasters said.

At least 10,000 families will be evacuated from potential flood zones, said Francisco Cota, the local director of Civil Protection. He said 60 shelters would be set up.

"I think it's going to be a substantial hurricane by the time it approaches," said Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Early Monday, Jimena had maximum sustained winds near 145 mph and was moving northwest at 8 mph.

It was centered about 355 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas.

Delegates from around the world had already begun to arrive for a conference sponsored by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development on Tuesday and Wednesday at Cabo Los Cabos at the southern tip of the peninsula.

Nicholas Bray, the head of media for the Paris-based organization, said Monday there are no plans to postpone or cancel the meeting.

Los Cabos Mayor Oscar Nunez said people in poorly constructed houses face "a huge potential risk" right now and they may be forced to evacuate.

Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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