Carlotta weakens to tropical storm

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MIAMI, June 16 (UPI) -- Hurricane Carlotta hit southern Mexico, killing two girls and tearing roofs off homes before being downgraded to a tropical storm, officials said.

Cynthia Tobar, a spokeswoman for Mexico's civil protection agency, said Carlotta destroyed a clay house in the mountain community of Pluma Hidalgo Friday night, killing a 13-year-old girl and her 7-year-old sister, CNN reported.

Tobar said the girls' mother was seriously injured and taken to a hospital in Huatulco.

Carlotta brought high winds and heavy rains to Oaxaca state, ripping off roofs and causing widespread power outages.

Tobar said about 1,200 people in Pluma Hidalgo were evacuated to shelters and many more were staying with relatives or friends.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Carlotta made landfall Friday night near Puerto Escondido.

Carlotta's winds had decreased to 75 mph early Saturday and the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm.

Carlotta was 40 miles northeast of Acapulco with sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving west-northwest at nearly13 mph at 5 a.m. PDT, the center said.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Pacific coast of Mexico west of Punta Maldonado to Acapulco.

Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles.

A storm surge was expected to produce significant coastal flooding in areas of onshore flow, mainly to the east of the center, and bring large and destructive waves.

The storm was expected to produce 4 to 8 inches of rainfall through Monday over parts of southern Mexico and isolated total rainfall up to 15 inches. The rain could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, the center said.