Erick makes landfall in western Mexico state as Category 3 storm
Boats were anchored near Manzanillo beach to be removed from the water ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Erick in Acapulco (Fernando Llano/AP)
The storm was downgraded slightly before making landfall, from a Category 4 to a Category 3. While slightly reduced in power, Erick is still considered a major hurricane as a Category 3, which can carry winds of up to 129mph (210 kph).
Erick is expected to rapidly weaken over the mountains of Mexico, and the system is likely to dissipate late Thursday or early Friday, the hurricane centre said.
The storm threatened to unleash destructive winds near where the eye crashes ashore, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters said.
Late on Wednesday, Erick's projected path crept south, closer to the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state, and centred on a sparsely populated stretch of coastline between the Oaxacan resort and Acapulco to the north-west.
Boats were removed from the water to Manzanillo beach in Acapulco ahead of the storm's arrival (Fernando Llano/AP)
President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message on Wednesday night that all activities in the region were suspended and she urged people to stay in their homes or move to shelters if they lived in low-lying areas.
Waves were crashing onto the esplanade in Puerto Escondido by nightfall, swamping wooden fishing boats that had been pulled up for safety. The beach disappeared under pounding waves and the rising tide had already reached the interiors of some waterfront restaurants.
Last-minute purchases ended at nightfall as shops closed and the streets emptied.
The storm's course shift could be welcome relief for residents of storm-battered Acapulco.
Workers in Acapulco boarded up a shop as they prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Erick (Fernando Llano/AP)
The city of nearly one million was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared. At least 52 people died in Otis and the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort's hotels.
Forecasters said Erick was expected to lash Mexico's Pacific coast with heavy rain, strong winds and a fierce storm surge.
Rains of up to 40cm could fall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states, the centre's advisory said.
The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.
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