Joe Francis in High Rise Danger as Hurricane Patricia Blows (TMZ LIVE)

Joe Francis' fortune wasn't enough to get him out of Mexico in time to escape the wrath of Hurricane Patricia, and now he's stuck staring down the 200 MPH winds ... from a high rise tower.

The "Girls Gone Wild" honcho called into TMZ Live from Puerto Vallarta on Friday morning, and you could already see the storm gathering behind him. Joe told us he was about to take off in a private jet, when the airport was shut down because Patricia was too close.

Now, he's riding out the storm from one of his homes -- and it's hardly an ideal location, considering Patricia is now the most powerful storm ever recorded on the planet.

Vaya con dios, Joe!