Hurricane Willa was a powerful tropical cyclone that brought torrential rains and destructive winds to southwestern Mexico, particularly the states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, during late October 2018.

Willa caused significant damage to many schools, a hospital, and infrastructure in the city of Escuinapa, with totals estimated at Mex$6 billion (US$306 million).

[1] On October 14, the United States-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring the wave for tropical development while it was located in the southwestern Caribbean Sea.

As a result, a WC-130 aircraft from the United States Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron was scheduled to survey the system for further development.

[9] The original low to the west gradually organized while moving westward, and at 00:00 UTC on October 20, the system developed into a tropical depression while located approximately 265 mi (426 km) south of Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico.

[12] Environmental conditions around the cyclone and aloft were favorable, with very low wind shear, high levels of moisture, and sea surface temperatures of 84 °F (29 °C).

[14] Willa reached Category 3 status by 18:00 UTC, with its eye becoming well-defined on both infrared and satellite imagery, making it the tenth major hurricane of the season.

[1][15] Continuing to rapidly intensify, Willa reached peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 925 mbar (27.3 inHg) at approximately 06:00 UTC on October 22, while located about 195 mi (314 km) south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico.

[nb 2][1] Over the next few days, Willa recurved towards Mexico; the system turned to the north as it rounded the edge of the ridge and later to the northeast due to an approaching mid-to-upper-level trough.

[30] A green alert, signaling minimal danger, was issued for Baja California Sur as a precautionary measure due to waves along the coast.

[43] The Mexican Navy set up a collection center for food and supplies in La Paz, Baja California Sur, in the hours before the storm.

[44] Hurricane Willa and Tropical Storm Vicente together forced the Norwegian Bliss cruise ship to divert to San Diego, California, on October 23.

[45] Despite the threat that Willa posed, Petróleos Mexicanos, the state-owned petroleum company, announced that it intended to maintain normal operations in Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima, Sonora and Sinaloa.

[1] The Marías Islands Prison was damaged during the storm; palm trees were uprooted, roofs collapsed, and barbed wire was ripped from fences.

[48] On the Mexican mainland, storm chasers from iCyclone reported a minimum pressure of 968 mbar (28.6 inHg) where Willa's eye moved ashore, suggesting a landfall intensity of 115 mph (185 km/h).

Willa dropped heavy rainfall in western Mexico, peaking at 15.39 in (391 mm) in San Andrés Milpillas [es] in northern Nayarit.

In Rosario, the Baluarte River rapidly rose after at least 7.4 in (188 mm) of rain fell,[55] sweeping away stone extraction machinery and transportation trucks.

[74] Heavy rainfall caused rivers to crest more than 36 ft (11 m) above normal, forcing the municipalities of Tecuala, Acaponeta, Tuxpan, San Blas, and Huajicori to be evacuated.

[90] Due to the unsettled weather produced by Willa and the nearby Tropical Storm Vicente, numerous oil tankers were unable to unload fuel at ports in Manzanillo and Tuxpan.

Combined with the closure of a major pipeline that transports petroleum to Guadalajara, this caused a fuel shortage in Jalisco, with some 500 gas stations being affected.

[97] A total of ten landslides occurred in the state of Hidalgo as a result of heavy rainfall from Willa and the nearby Tropical Storm Vicente.

[111] The Marine Plan was activated in Sinaloa and Nayarit, resulting in the dispatch of 1,800 soldiers, 163 vehicles, 8 aircraft, 15 surface units, 6 ships, and 3 mobile kitchens.

[77] The Jalisco State Civil Fire and Protection Unit used aquatic vehicles to transport supplies to the Tuxpan Municipality and assess damage in Nayarit.

[114] For one week, officials made Federal Highway 15D – a toll road – free of charge, and instead collected more than Mex$1.1 million (US$57,000) in donations for the residents left homeless by the hurricane.

They also were operating 17 dining facilities for nearly 3,000 children, but were forced to close four located in Isla del Bosque, Escuinapa, and Teacapán due to power outages.

Additionally, gasoline pipelines had to be shut down due to theft; the Tula-Salamanca section was closed for repairs as a result of damage left by thieves.

[119] Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, then coach of the Dorados de Sinaloa, hosted a charity dinner on November 5 to provide financial support for individuals affected by Willa and Tropical Depression Nineteen-E.[120] In Nayarit, the National Civil Protection Coordination designated the municipalities of Acaponeta, El Nayar, Huajicori, Rosamorada, Ruiz, Santiago Ixcuintla, Tecuala, and Tuxpan as disaster areas.

After President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had federal officials visit the city, more inaccuracies regarding damage to roads, educational institutions, and areas of tourism were discovered.

[122] In the time after Willa's dissipation, the National Water Commission reported that the Baluarte River had seen a major increase in chromium, mercury, and nickel concentrations a month after the storm.

The state delivered Mex$2 million (US$101,000) worth of rotten mattresses to victims and allowed them access to pantries in exchange for support letters.