Hurricane John strengthens as spins toward Baja

LOS CABOS, Mexico, Sep 1 (Reuters) A more powerful Hurricane John roared toward one of Mexico's most exclusive beach resorts today, forcing hundreds of foreign tourists to flee ahead of howling winds, angry seas and lashing rain.

Stores boarded up windows and five-star hotels readied their own refugee shelters for mostly US guests who gave up plans to play golf, swim or go boating at the Los Cabos resort on the tip of Baja California peninsula.

Many vacationers were taking no chances and headed for the airport to seek flights home before John, a moderate-strength Category Two storm, took a swipe at Los Cabos.

''It's a madhouse here,'' said Mike Munoz, 22, a carpenter from Los Angeles at the airport. ''We'll probably have to stay here and wait it out, unless we get lucky and get a flight.'' Rescue workers began evacuating at least 10,000 residents from low-lying areas to temporary shelters, whether they wanted to go or not.

''Those who do not want to leave will be taken away by the army,'' said Jose Gajon, head of civil protection for the state of Baja California Sur.

Residents lined up at supermarkets in a rush to buy food, water and gasoline as the hurricane's first rains hit the resort, which is made up of two towns, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

''There's a bit of panic,'' said a senior Red Cross official.

RISING STRENGTH John's wind strength was fluctuating, and at 5 a.m. EDT 2.30 am today, the US National Hurricane Center upgraded it to a Category 3 hurricane when sustained winds strengthened to 185 kph. John had been downgraded one notch the day before when its winds eased.

Long lines of tourists waited at Los Cabos airport for flights off the low-lying peninsula.

Nurse Debbie Malanick, 52, was happy to take four flights to reach home in Miami.

''It's probably going to take 24 hours to get there but that's okay,'' said Malanick, who said she lost a house in the huge 1992 Hurricane Andrew that devastated southern Florida.

''You have to get out any way you can, a flight to anywhere to get me back home,'' she said.

The hurricane headed for Baja California 175 km away.

After smacking into the resort, the storm was expected to bounce back out into the Pacific, posing no threat to the United States.

Rainfall of 15 to 25 cm, with isolated deluges of 45 cm, was possible over the southern part of Baja California and along Mexico's west coast.

The Mexican government discontinued storm warnings late yesterday for the Pacific coast of mainland Mexico.

Last October, Hurricane Wilma hit Cancun and other beach resorts on Mexico's Caribbean coast. It caused massive damage, eroding large stretches of beach and stranding tens of thousands of tourists for days.

On the US East Coast, Tropical Storm Ernesto spun north through eastern North Carolina today morning at 24 kph with wind speeds up to 105 kph.

Ernesto was expected to strike Virginia and bring heavy rains today and lose wind speed as it crawled toward Pennsylvania by the weekend.

Ernesto had been forecast to reach the US mainland as a potential Category three storm but was weaker when it landed onshore and by today had done little damage.

REUTERS BDP PM1548