Hurricane Erick was upgraded to a Category 3 storm on Wednesday evening as it closed in on ‘s Pacific coast packing 195 kilometers-per-hour (120 miles-per-hour) winds.
After hours of rapid intensification and strengthening from a Category 1 to a Category 2 storm earlier in the day, the cyclone is now located in the eastern Pacific, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of “damaging winds and life-threatening flash floods to portions of southern Mexico” when Erick makes landfall early on Thursday.
“Rapid strengthening is expected to continue today [Wednesday], and Erick is forecast to reach major hurricane strength tonight or early Thursday as it approaches the coast of southern Mexico,” the NHC said.
Mexico braces for Hurricane Erick
With forecasters warning of intense rainfall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, bringing “life-threatening flooding and mudslides,” President urged those living in low-lying areas or near rivers to move to shelters.
Around 2,000 temporary shelters have been set up in Guerrero and Oaxaca, and hundreds of troops and electricity workers have been made ready to assist in any clean-up effort.
The mountainous region along the coast is particularly prone to mudslides and there are numerous rivers that could burst their banks.
In Acapulco, a major port and resort famous for its nightlife, police patrolled the beach and drove around town warning residents and holidaymakers of the storm’s arrival.
Evelyn Salgado, the governor of Guerrero, said Wednesday that all schools had been closed.
Are hurricanes common in Mexico?
Mexico experiences severe storms every year between May and November, on both its and Pacific coasts.
In September 2024, Storm John, a Category 3 storm, killed 15 people.
In October 2023, Acapulco was pummeled by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 storm that resulted in at least 50 deaths.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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