Mexico Braces for Strongest Hurricane in Western Hemisphere

Hurricane Patricia is barreling toward southwestern Mexico as a monster Category 5 storm, the strongest ever in the Western Hemisphere.

Residents and tourists were hunkering down or trying to make last-minute escapes ahead of what forecasters called a "potentially catastrophic landfall" later in the day.

The storm is homing in on a Pacific coastline dotted with sleepy fishing villages and gleaming resorts, including the popular beach city of Puerto Vallarta and the port of Manzanillo.

In Puerto Vallarta, residents reinforced homes with sandbags and shop windows with boards and tape, and hotels rolled up beachfront restaurants. The airport was closed to all flights and all but deserted, but lines formed at a bus station by people anxious to buy tickets to Guadalajara and other inland destinations.

After hitting land, Patricia's projected path would quickly take it over mountainous terrain that is prone to dangerous flash floods and landslides.

Meanwhile, emergency management officials in Texas contending with multiple storm systems are preparing for heavy rains to continue through the weekend and widespread flooding that may follow.

Rain fell steadily Friday through much of the state and is forecast to continue through at least Saturday as a storm system slowly moves eastward.

Many parts of Texas, including Dallas and Houston, could see upward of 12 inches of rain by early Saturday.

Officials are concerned the current system will be followed by the wet remnants of powerful Hurricane Patricia, which is now approaching the west coast of Mexico.

The systems will bring the most rain the state has seen since the devastating Memorial Day weekend flooding that led to at least 30 deaths. (AP)