Hurricane Dean takes aim at mainland Mexico

Hurricane Dean raked the Mexican mainland Wednesday and battered evacuated oil platforms, forcing thousands to flee as it regained some of the force it unleashed on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Hurricane-force winds were just off the coast of Veracruz state as the sprawling storm grew back to Category 2 status, with winds of 100mph, before an projected midday strike. To the south, the hurricane’s storm surge flooded Ciudad del Carmen, a city of 120,000 people.