Powerful Hurricane Erick made landfall early Thursday along the southern coast of Mexico in the state of Oaxaca, bringing sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph), flash floods, and the threat of storm surges across rural and coastal areas. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami confirmed that the centre of the storm hit roughly 20 miles (30 kilometres) east of Punta Maldonado, moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).
Although initially classified as a Category 4 hurricane, Erick weakened slightly before landfall, arriving as a Category 3 system. The hurricane narrowly skirted between the popular tourist destinations of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido, instead making landfall near a sparsely populated coastal zone dotted with agricultural fields and fishing villages near the Guerrero-Oaxaca border.
Forecasters warned of destructive winds, dangerous storm surges, and flash flooding, particularly in low-lying and mountainous areas. However, Erick is expected to weaken rapidly over Mexico’s coastal mountains and likely dissipate by late Thursday or early Friday, according to the NHC.
Though Acapulco awoke to overcast skies and swelling surf, the city of nearly one million appeared to have avoided the storm’s strongest winds. Nevertheless, memories of Hurricane Otis, which devastated Acapulco in October 2023 as a Category 5 storm, left many residents taking no chances.
“Authorities’ warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we’ve already been through,” said Carlos Ozuna Romero, who lost his beachfront restaurant to Otis. On Wednesday, he and his staff worked quickly to secure property and belongings.
In Puerto Escondido, waves pounded the shoreline, flooding some seafront restaurants and submerging fishing boats despite efforts to bring them ashore. Surfers were still spotted on Zicatela beach earlier in the day, even with red flags advising against water activities.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents to remain indoors or relocate to shelters if they lived in flood-prone areas. “All activities in the region are suspended,” she said in a video message released Wednesday evening.
Across Guerrero state, Governor Evelyn Salgado confirmed that public movement in beach communities, including Acapulco, was ordered to cease at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, with all schools closed through Thursday.
Despite the late shift in Erick’s path sparing major urban centres from a direct hit, Puerto Escondido and smaller communities bore the brunt of the storm, grappling with high winds, floodwaters, and coastal erosion.
Authorities remain on high alert as clean-up operations and damage assessments begin.
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