Mexico assesses damage from hurricane
Torrential rains over steep coastal mountains and the landslides and flooding they could generate became the ongoing concern for officials after Erick dissipated following a landfall early Thursday on a sparsely populated stretch of coast.
The storm's death toll remained at one Friday, a 1-year-old boy who drowned in a swollen river, President Claudia Sheinbaum said. She also said she planned to visit the affected region Friday.
Power had been restored to about half the 277,000 customers who lost it and soldiers, marines and National Guard were helping to remove debris and reopen roads in Guerrero and Oaxaca state where Erick passed.
Erick came ashore down southern Mexico's Pacific coast in the morning as a Category 3 major hurricane, but it landed between the resort cities of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido.
It dissipated on Thursday night over the mountains in Michoacan state.
Authorities reported landslides, blocked highways, downed power lines and some flooding as coastal residents, above all in Acapulco, took the storm seriously with memories of the devastating Hurricane Otis in 2023 still fresh in their minds.
Erick had strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it approached the coast but weakened before making landfall to a Category 3.
Having doubled in strength in less than a day, Erick churned through an ideal environment for quick intensification. Last year, there were 34 incidents of rapid intensification - when a storm gains at least 55 kph in 24 hours - which is about twice the average and causes problems with forecasting, according to the hurricane centre.
Authorities had warned the heavy rain would become the problem.
On Friday, National Civil Defense Coordinator Laura Velázquez said a river in Juchitan, Oaxaca had spilled over its banks and some families had moved to shelter.
Forecasters had expected up to 40 centimetres of rain could fall across Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states.
The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.
Late Thursday, Guerrero state Civil Defense Director Roberto Arroyo said that a 1-year-old boy had died in San Marcos, an inland community southeast of Acapulco in the path of Erick.
Associated Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
6 days ago
- Gulf Today
Typhoon Podul makes landfall in Taiwan
Typhoon Podul made landfall in Taiwan on Wednesday, where authorities closed schools and government offices as heavy rain threatened more damage to agriculture in the island's southeast. The storm hit Taitung county on the east coast shortly after noon, moving across the southern third of the island at about 36 kilometres (22 miles) per hour, at which rate it would head out to the Taiwan Strait and China by late afternoon, according to the Central Weather Administration. It was unclear how serious the storm would be, with high waves and winds seen across much of the southeast but no major rain as of yet, according to the agency. Such storms typically hit the east coast hard before losing speed and strength as they pass over the Central Mountain Range before continuing toward the Chinese coast. Podul measured 120 kilometres (75 miles) across and was expected to broaden even while losing strength as the storm moved westward across the Taiwan Strait. A woman sits in front of a screen displaying information on cancelled domestic flights, as Typhoon Podul approaches the country, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday. Reuters The areas affected are well south of the capital, Taipei, along with Taiwan's main international airport and high-tech industrial base. Around a dozen flights that would have travelled south toward the path of the storm were delayed or cancelled. The counties and cities of Tainan, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Yunlin, Pingtung and Hualien on the east coast and the island group of Penghu in the Taiwan Strait were taking the brunt of the storm. Along with flooding, typhoons routinely damage fruit and other cash crops and bring landslides through the island's centre. Much of central and southern Taiwan was badly hit by heavy rains in recent weeks that caused severe damage to crops but minimal casualties, while also knocking out electricity to rural areas that took weeks to repair. Recovery crews are on alert. Associated Press
Gulf Today
28-07-2025
- Gulf Today
Wildfires threaten Turkey's fourth-largest city as locals evacuate
Wildfires that have engulfed Turkey for weeks threatened the country's fourth-largest city early Sunday, causing more than 1,500 people to flee their homes and leaving a firefighter dead. Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa in northwest Turkey spread rapidly, tinting the night sky over the city's eastern suburbs with a red glow. Dozens of severe wildfires have hit the country daily since late June, with the government declaring two western provinces, Izmir and Bilecik, disaster areas on Friday. Bursa governor's office said in a statement Sunday that 1,765 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned. A firefighter died from a heart attack while on the job, the city's mayor, Mustafa Bozbey, said in a statement, adding that the flames had scorched 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city. Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as "an apocalypse.' Residents and firefighters attempt to extinguish a wildfire as smoke and flames rise from a forested area in the Gursu district of Bursa early on Sunday. AFP By morning, lessening winds brought some respite to firefighters, who continued efforts to battle the flames. However, TV footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli said fire crews across the country confronted 76 separate blazes Saturday. The country's northwest was under the greatest threat, including Karabuk, where wildfires have burned since Tuesday, he said. Unseasonally high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fueling the wildfires. The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday. The highest temperatures for July were seen in 132 other locations, it said. Fourteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir in western Turkey. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said late Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, and that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects. Associated Press
Gulf Today
21-07-2025
- Gulf Today
Iran's capital will shut for a day due to heatwave
Iranian government offices, banks and businesses in the capital province of Tehran will shut down on Wednesday due to an intense heat wave and the need to conserve energy, state-run media reported. With temperatures in the capital exceeding 40˚C, the government has advised citizens to stay indoors during peak heat hours. IRAN daily on Monday quoted government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani urging residents to take measures to reduce electricity and water consumption. The report said that all governmental offices, banks and businesses in Tehran province will be closed on Wednesday. In July 2024, Iran ordered one-day national holiday due to high temperatures, following a two-day holiday in 2023. Borazjan in southern Bushehr province was the hottest city in the last 24 hours with a maximum temperature of 50˚C. Associated Press
