An official with the U-N's World Meteorological Organization says Hurricane Patricia's 325-kilometre-an-hour winds are strong enough to blow a plane into the air and keep it flying.
Claire Nullis says the storm's force is comparable to that of Typhoon Haiyan (HY'-ahn), which left more than 73-hundred dead or missing in the Philippines two years ago.
The storm is headed for Mexico's Pacific coast, which includes the resort area of Puerto Vallarta, and is expected to make landfall later today.
In the resort area, the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel in Puerto Vallarta is bustling, with a long line of people forming to check out.
More than 900 guests had rooms at the hotel the previous evening, but many wanted to get out of town before the storm arrived later today.
Sandra Rojas and her husband, a veterinarian from San Jose, Costa Rica, are among those getting ready to leave.
After loading their cars, they are driving to the Jalisco state capital of Guadalajara to plan their next move.
``The hotel is saying that nothing is going to happen, but it's nature,'' said Rojas. ``Anything can happen.''