It originated off the Pacific coast of Mexico and became an intense hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of at least 136 miles per hour (219 km/h), equivalent to a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

In Mazatlán, the communications severed due to the strong winds, and the city briefly relied on a single Pan Am plane that was carrying American filmmaker Walt Disney.

The Mazatlán Observatory recorded a minimum atmospheric pressure of 958.6 millibars (28.31 inHg), along with maximum sustained winds of 134 mph (216 km/h) over a period of 15 minutes, before the anemometer broke loose.

A small coastal boat arrived in the port of Mazatlán after the storm and reported six crew members missing.

The passengers included filmmaker Walt Disney, his family, and employees, who were headed to Mexico City for production on The Three Caballeros.

[30] The hurricane caused severe damage along a 50 mi (80 km) portion of the Mexican coastline, from Acaponeta, Nayarit northward to Mazatlán.

[31] Within a day of the hurricane, Mexican President Manuel Ávila Camacho ordered nurses and doctors on standby, and for military workers in the area to prepare to assist in the aftermath.

[31] The President of Mexico personally visited Mazatlán with other officials, bringing aid in the form of medicine and clothing.