MEXICO CITY, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Thousands of tourists have been airlifted from Mexico's west coast in the face of Tropical Storm Manuel, but officials say more tourists and residents are stranded.
Manuel, which had dissipated but regained tropical storm strength, was almost immediately followed by Hurricane Ingrid, causing widespread devastation on Mexico's gulf coast. At least 57 people died in flooding and landslides caused by the storms.
In Acapulco, the Mexican army has been flying stranded tourists, Mexicans and foreigners, to Mexico City, the BBC reported Wednesday. More than 2,000 tourists have already been evacuated, but 40,000 others are believed to remain in Acapulco.
Passengers were being taken from shelters directly to the runway because the main airport terminal still is closed.
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"I see everybody helping," Canadian tourist Michael Paliti told the BBC, adding he was "trying to get home as best as possible."
Dozens of other towns in Guerrero state were flooded by heavy rains from Manuel since it made landfall Sunday.
Mexican officials said they fear remote communities could be hard-hit because landslides blocked the main roads.
To the east, Hurricane Ingrid was downgraded to a tropical storm before it made landfall Monday near La Pesca. Since then, more than 20,000 people have been evacuated in Veracruz state.
Tropical Storm Manuel was churning along in the Pacific west of Mexico Wednesday, but was expected to severely lash the coast, U.S. forecasters said.
At 8 a.m. PDT, Manuel was as about 90 miles west of Mazatlan, Mexico, with sustained winds of 40 mph. It was moving north-northwest at 3 mph.
Mexico issued a tropical storm warning from Mazatlan to Topolobampo, The National Hurricane Center in Miami said tropical storm conditions were expected in the warning area within the next 24 to 36 hours.
Manuel was expected to become nearly stationary Thursday night and Friday, the center said, remaining over the southern portion of the Sea of Cortez.
Manuel also was expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rain over the Mexican state of Sinaloa, and 3 to 5 inches over the state of Nayarit and the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula during the next few days.
