Remnants of Hurricane Polo triggered mandatory evacuations, water treatment plant breaches, and swift-water rescues across the U.S. The storm’s moisture, interacting with a separate system over the Four Corners region, put tens of millions of people under flood watches from Arizona to the Central Plains.
Flash floods forced emergency evacuations and breached levees across the Southwest as the remnants of Hurricane Polo made their way north. Flood watches remained in effect for tens of millions of people after the storm made landfall in Mexico’s Baja California Sur as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph) on Monday night, September 28, 2026. The hurricane came ashore just south of Las Barrancas, about 80 miles north of Cabo San Lazaro and about 70 miles south of Mulege while moving northeast at 13 mph (20 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
Hurricane Polo battered Mexico’s Baja California Sur state with strong winds and heavy rain, flooding coastal areas and strewing streets with fallen trees. The cyclone entered approximately at midnight, accompanied by torrential rains, strong gusts of wind, and high waves that caused damage in different parts of the entity. Although the impact generated material damage, authorities informed that up to the moment a white balance was maintained with no serious damage or deaths immediately reported. The zone that concentrated the major affectations was Puerto San Carlos, in Comondú, where the force of the water provoked the rupture of a containment leve. The entry of the sea flooded several neighborhoods and obligated the mobilization of inhabitants toward safe zones.
Landfall and Impacts across Baja California Sur and Sonora
Baja California Sur Governor Víctor Castro reported on Tuesday that the hurricane’s passage brought rain but no loss of life. Federal authorities confirmed that about 700 people remained in shelters Tuesday but were expected to return to their homes.
Polo made a second landfall after crossing the Gulf of California, degrading into a tropical storm as it progressed inland through Sonora, where floodwaters had already inundated roadways in Empalme and Guaymas. In the 8:00 a.m. advisory from Sonora, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) placed the center 20 kilometers south of Guaymas, with maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h and movement to the northeast at 28 km/h. The most recent observed position from NHC bulletin 36 was 27.8 degrees north latitude and 110.9 degrees west longitude, at 15:00 UTC (10:00 a.m. Peru time), maintaining Category 1 status after weakening during its passage through the peninsula before losing strength rapidly in the afternoon.
Debris on highways and flooded roadways were logged across the state by the New Mexico Department of Transportation by Tuesday evening, whereas portions of Arizona experienced heavy soaking that prompted multiple water rescues. That is after storms rolled through parts of the U.S. Southwest overnight Monday, saturating the ground, which can make flooding worse.
Evacuations and Dam Concerns in Southern New Mexico
Levees surrounding a water treatment facility in Rincon were breached by a local stream, creating a threat to nearby structures, according to southern New Mexico authorities. The National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency due to the imminent failure
of McLeod Dam and later said several dams were near full amid intense runoff.
Polo’s remnants carved a path across New Mexico on Tuesday night, with pockets of the state expected to receive more than three Septembers’ worth of rain in a day. Forecasters indicated that north-central New Mexico—encompassing Albuquerque and Santa Fe—could experience the worst of the severe weather, potentially receiving totals between 3 and 4 inches (approximately 8 to 10 centimeters) or higher through Wednesday.
Swift-Water Rescues and Urban Flooding from Arizona to Utah
Heavy rains generated swift-water emergencies across desert landscapes. In Arizona, parts of the state became especially drenched, leading to several water rescues. A widespread flood hazard threatening the Desert Southwest—set to extend toward the Midwest and Plains in the coming days—was triggered by an interaction between a descending jet stream and historic moisture remaining from Hurricane Polo. Levels of moisture being pushed into far west Texas, New Mexico, and southern Arizona are approaching or narrowly exceeding historical records. States including Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas remained at highest risk into Wednesday.
Expanding Flood Threats Across the Central Plains and Midwest
Parts of Oklahoma, Texas, and the Southwest are projected to experience atmospheric moisture concentrations near or exceeding late-September records, resulting in unusual tropical rainfall for specific regions. Historically, significant downpours originating from decaying tropical weather systems are exceptionally uncommon throughout western Kansas. As the remnants of Polo fizzle out, the severe weather risks are expected to continue adding to heavy rain and flood threats across parts of the U.S. Southwest and later the central United States, while another storm, Rachel, strengthened off Mexico’s southwestern coast.
