Hurricane Norbert smacks Mexico's Baja peninsula

By Susy Buchanan

LA PAZ, Mexico, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Hurricane Norbert smacked into Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Saturday, blowing roofs off buildings and forcing hundreds of people to evacuate flood-prone areas.

Norbert, a Category 2 storm packing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), made landfall near the city of La Paz, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It avoided a direct hit on the beach resort of Los Cabos, a popular destination for U.S. tourists.

"It's blowing down roofs and destroying things in its path," Jose Gajon, head of civil protection in Baja California Sur, told Reuters.

Rescue authorities have evacuated Mexicans from houses made of wooden boards and sheet metal in low-lying areas in danger of flooding on the western side of the peninsula.

The area is not home to oil installations.

California resident Louis Sebulsky, in La Paz to help build a golf course, moved from his trailer to a hotel as Norbert approached.

"We are going to sit right here in the lobby and wait this one out," he said. "We've got plenty of food and all we can do is hope for the best."

After crossing the peninsula, Norbert could pummel the agricultural states of Sonora and Sinaloa with heavy rains, but was not expected to cause any damage to mining interests in northern Mexico.

Tropical Storm Odile, south of Norbert in the Pacific, moved north along Mexico's coastline near the Ixtapa vacation town, threatening to dump rain and putting the region at risk of flash floods and mudslides.

Odile's winds reached nearly 65 mph (100 kph) and could become a hurricane, the center said. (Additional reporting by Luis Rojas Mena; Editing by Eric Walsh)