Hurricane Norbert storms Mexico's Baja peninsula

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

Norbert, a Category 2 storm packing maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph), blew across the peninsula near the city of La Paz before entering the Gulf of California, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Centre.

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 wood and sheet metal in low-lying areas in danger of flooding.

The region is not home to oil installations.

As Norbert's violent winds slammed into La Paz, a few last-minute drivers struggled to close their car doors on streets littered with uprooted palm trees and a "Happy Hour" sign ripped from a restaurant entrance.

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 Gulf of California, Norbert is likely to pummel the agricultural states of Sonora and Sinaloa with heavy rains, but is 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 port of Lazaro Cardenas, threatening to dump rain and putting the region at risk of flash floods and mudslides.

Odile's winds reached 45 mph (75 kph) but should begin to weaken within a day, the centre said.

(Writing by Noel Randewich, Additional reporting by Luis Rojas Mena; Editing by Eric Walsh)