Hurricane protection in Puerto Vallarta
We have worked in Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay since 2016. Our main project in the region was for Grupo Vidanta in 2017–2018: nearly 2,000 rooms. We have completed smaller projects around the bay since.
Hurricane Solution in Vallarta since 2016
This table summarizes the named storms that affected the region over that period, based on public sources: U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports, Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN/CONAGUA) and a University of Guadalajara (CUCosta) study based on CENAPRED and NHC data. It describes the region’s exposure; it does not imply that every private property was inspected after each event.
Named storms that affected Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay, 2016–2026. Only events verifiable in the cited sources are listed. NHC has not yet published its final report on Simon (2026).
| Year | Name | Peak category | How it affected the Vallarta region | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Pilar | Tropical storm | Indirect effects on the northern Jalisco coast (Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Tomatlán). | UdeG CUCosta |
| 2018 | Ileana | Tropical storm | Indirect effects on the northern Jalisco coast (Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Tomatlán). | UdeG CUCosta |
| 2018 | Willa | Category 5 hurricane | Indirect effects; made landfall farther north. | UdeG CUCosta |
| 2019 | Lorena | Category 1 hurricane | Direct effects on the northern Jalisco coast (Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Tomatlán). | UdeG CUCosta |
| 2019 | Narda | Tropical storm | Direct effects on the northern Jalisco coast (Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Tomatlán). | UdeG CUCosta |
| 2020 | Hernán | Tropical storm | Indirect effects on the northern Jalisco coast (Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Tomatlán). | UdeG CUCosta |
| 2021 | Nora | Category 1 hurricane | Passed near Puerto Vallarta on August 28–29. The Cuale and Pitillal rivers flooded, a hotel partially collapsed and one person died in the city. | NHC report on Nora |
| 2021 | Dolores | Tropical storm | Indirect effects on the northern Jalisco coast (Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Tomatlán). | UdeG CUCosta |
| 2022 | Roslyn | Category 4 hurricane (Category 3 at landfall) | Made landfall near Santa Cruz, Nayarit, north of the bay. NHC also reports flooding in Puerto Vallarta. | NHC report on Roslyn |
| 2023 | Lidia | Category 4 hurricane | Made landfall near Las Peñitas, Jalisco, about 35 nautical miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta. In the city: trees, poles and roofs damaged, and power, phone and water outages. | NHC report on Lidia; Tribuna de la Bahía |
| 2026 | Simon | Category 4 hurricane (preliminary) | Its eye passed offshore without making landfall in Jalisco. The airport closed and more than 100 flights were canceled; as of October 12, no river overflows or casualties were reported in Puerto Vallarta. | NHC; NASA Earth Observatory; UnoTV citing SMN |
Sources: NHC Nora, NHC Roslyn, NHC Lidia, NHC Simon, NASA Simon, UnoTV/SMN Simon, Tribuna de la Bahía, Universidad de Guadalajara (CUCosta).
No properly engineered, installed, anchored and deployed Hurricane Solution system has ever failed during a hurricane.
Pacific vs. Riviera Maya: why Vallarta is protected differently
- Storm tracks. On Mexico’s Pacific coast many storms move northwest, nearly parallel to the shore, like Nora (2021) and Simon (2026). A system can affect the bay without making landfall there, and the Pacific season starts on May 15. In the Riviera Maya, hurricanes usually arrive from the Caribbean, and the Atlantic season starts on June 1.
- Banderas Bay geography. The bay opens to the west and is ringed by the Sierra Madre. The mountains can weaken a system, but they also concentrate rain: short, steep urban rivers like the Cuale and Pitillal rise quickly. The Riviera Maya is flat with almost no surface rivers, so the main risks are wind and storm surge.
- Salt air. On both coasts salt speeds up corrosion. That is why stainless-steel anchors and the care routine matter: rinse the screen with fresh water after a storm and never store it wet.
- Hotel operations. Warnings can come with little lead time: for Nora, NHC issued the hurricane warning only 12–15 hours before impacts. A staged deployment plan (72/48/24 hours) and trained in-house staff reduce that risk.
- Building conditions. Hillside hotels with open terraces, beachfront towers and large windows and sliding doors call for measuring every opening and checking the structure that will take the anchors.
- Deployment. Roads and bridges can be cut during an event (Nora damaged bridges; Simon washed out a section of the Manzanillo–Puerto Vallarta highway). The system should be on site, labeled and ready for the hotel’s own staff to install.
Keep reading: HS-1250 · HS-1500 · How to choose hurricane protection in Mexico · Storm record · Protection for hotels · Case studies · Tests and certifications · Certified anchors.
Protecting a hotel or property on Banderas Bay?
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