Hurricane Patricia 2015 Watch: 11 Things To Know About Strongest Wind Force On Record

Mexico's Pacific coast is on high alert as Hurricane Patricia intensifies and becomes the strongest wind force on record. This area of Mexico has had it rough this year, with Andres forming in the Pacific, but that was never a threat to hit landfall. Back in June, Hurricane Blanca gained steam and reached Category 4 with winds of about 130 mph and became a threat of causing damage. The stormed thankfully weakened during its final phase when it encountered cooler water and low wind conditions, being downgraded into a tropical storm. Last year, Hurricane Odile hit the region causing destruction in the area and Patricia might be the most catastrophic one yet. These are the things we know about Hurricane Patricia right now:

1. Patricia is the strongest hurricane ever recorded and could reach up to 200-mph sustained winds, with higher gusts, and massive rainfall.

2. Hurricane Patricia looks to be more powerful than Hurricane Andrew (1992) and Hurricane Katrina (1995).

3. "Patricia is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches, over the Mexican states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero through Saturday," according to data from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). "These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides."

4. The NHC also adds: "An extremely dangerous storm surge is expected to produce significant coastal flooding near and to the right of where the center makes landfall. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves."

5. "Swells generated by Patricia are already affecting portions of the southern coast of Mexico, and will spread northwestward during the next day or so," the NHC reports. "These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions."

6. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.

7. Intensity fluctuations are expected, but Patricia is expected to remain an extremely dangerous category 5 hurricane through landfall.

8. Patricia is forecast to rapidly weaken over the mountains of Mexico.

9. The Government of Mexico has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the coast of Mexico north of San Blas to El Roblito.

10. The center of Patricia should cross the coast in the hurricane warning area late this afternoon or early this evening.

11. After landfall, the center of Patricia is expected to move quickly north-northeastward across western and northern Mexico.