Mexico feels impact as Ingrid grows into a hurricane

Story highlights

NEW: First signs of Ingrid's outer bands hit in Mexico

NEW: Collapsed roads, flooded homes, stranded towns

Evacuations begin ahead of the storm

CNN  — 

Residents of Mexico’s central state of San Luis Potosi felt the first signs of Hurricane Ingrid’s outer bands Saturday.

Government agency Notimex reported damaged and collapsed roads and flooded homes. It said authorities evacuated residents in danger areas, taking them to one of more than 50 shelters in the region.

Track Ingrid

Emergency crews distributed supplies in boats to areas unreachable by land. Riverside towns were stranded after the water rose to critical levels.

The National Hurricane Center in the United States warned Ingrid could dump 10 to 15 inches of rain over Mexico’s eastern region, with 25 inches expected in mountainous areas. The rainfall would mean flash floods and mudslides for saturated areas.

Along the coast, the center predicted a “dangerous storm surge” and “destructive waves.”

Ingrid strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Saturday afternoon, the second of the 2013 season in the Atlantic region, the hurricane center said.

A hurricane warning was issued for parts of Mexico’s Gulf coast ahead of the storm, which is expected to arrive Monday.

The storm had winds near 80 mph as of 7 p.m. ET Saturday, with higher gusts, according to the Miami-based hurricane center.

Fast facts: 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season

CNN’s Sarah Aarthun contributed to this report.

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