on October 3. A mid-level ridge forced the storm more to the south-southeast, where after remaining a 60 mph (97 km/h) storm for three days, Larry made landfall at Paraíso, Tabasco, on October 5. It steadily weakened over land, and degenerated into a remnant low on October 6 while midway through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The remnant low turned to the southwest, and reached the eastern Pacific Ocean on the October 7. The remnants of Larry re-organized somewhat in the eastern Pacific, with the National Hurricane Center indicating for the possibility of redevelopment into a tropical depression on October 9. However, the convection diminished, and further development was no longer anticipated. Preparations Due to its erratic motion, the Mexican government issued a Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch early in Larry's lifetime from Veracruz to Campeche. The watches and warnings were extended westward to Tuxpan on the 4th and extended eastward to Ciudad del Carmen on October 5. Due to the threat of the storm, officials closed three Pemex oil ports. The company used its reserves to make sure profits weren't disrupted. In addition, the storm closed shipping ports in in Tabasco, Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz, and Cayo Arcas in Campeche. The Mexican government placed six coastal states on maximum alert, while authorities set up 75 evacuation shelters for around 1,500 people. Because of the storm, the government declared much of eastern Mexico a state of emergency. Impact Tropical Storm Larry was one of eight storms to hit Mexico from either the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean, the highest since the record of nine in 1971. The National Hurricane Center expected the storm to produce a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet (.9 to 1.5 m), with high waves on top, though no official surge readings were reported. The highest recorded winds on land were 59 mph (95 km/h) in El Alacrán in Tabasco. The worst of Larry's effects came from its rainfall, peaking at 24.77 inches (629.2 mm) in Upper Juarez in southeastern Mexico. The highest 24-hour rainfall total was 9.6 inches (245.5 mm) in Tortuguero, Chiapas, while several other locations reported over 4 inches (102 mm) in 24 hours. The flooding damaged more than 21,000 houses across Mexico, in combination with the damage from Eastern Pacific Hurricanes Nora and Olaf. Damage was greatest around the Chiapas capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, where over 9,000 houses were affected.