Category 4 Hurricane Erick Close To Landfall With A Familiar Story
Satellite image of Hurricane Erick on the morning of June 19, 2025.
Hurricane Erick is expected to make landfall later this morning. In fact, by the time I finish writing this piece, the eye may have breached the Mexican coastline. At the time of writing around 7 am EDT, the hurricane was rated as a powerful Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. It was moving towards the region of Acapulco and Puerto Angel at 9 mph Here is the latest information about this major hurricane and expected impacts.
Hurricane Erick on the verge of landfall on June 19, 2025.
Hurricane Watches and Warnings are up along the Mexican coast. During the early morning hours of June 19, 2025, the National Hurricane Center wrote, 'On the forecast track, the center of Erick is expected to make landfall in the western portion of the Mexican state of Oaxaca or the eastern portion of the Mexican state of Guerrero within the next few hours, and then continue inland over southern Mexico later today.' Though the storm is expected to weaken after landfall, impacts will be felt well inland.
Those impacts will include up to a foot or more of rainfall in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero and significant totals in surrounding regions. Dangerous flooding and mudslides, particularly within steep terrain, are likely. Additionally, extreme winds typical of a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) will impact the coasts and regions inland. NHC cautioned, "Wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains are often up to 30 percent stronger than the near-surface winds
indicated in this advisory, and in some elevated locations could be even greater." To the right of the eye, life-threatening storm surge will produce coastal flooding, large waves, swells, and rip currents.
Expected rainfall from Hurricane Erick.
Yesterday morning I warned, 'The forecast ultimately puts Erick at Category 2 level, but I would not rule out slightly higher intensity.' As expected, Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified, which means it gained at least 35 mph of sustained wind speed in less than 24 hours. This is a familiar story with landfalling hurricanes. Meteorologists Chris Dolce, Jon Erdman, and Johnathan Beiles wrote, 'Erick rapidly intensified from a 40 mph tropical storm Tuesday morning to Cat 4 intensity at midnight Thursday morning.' According to The Weather Channel experts, 'Erick may be the first known Cat 4 E. Pacific hurricane to landfall in Mexico prior to October in records dating to the late 1950s.'
Because of the physical properties of water, stronger hurricanes are typically not expected until later in the season. However, the sea surface temperatures, wind shear patterns, and moisture have been optimal for Erick's intensification. Studies continue to link warmer ocean temperatures or marine heatwaves to recent rapid intensification. Rapid intensification is problematic because it shortens the window for preparation of such powerful storms.
Sea surface temperature anomalies near the Mexican coast are warmer than normal.
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CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Erick makes landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, the strongest to hit Mexico so early in the year
Hurricane Erick slammed into Mexico's Oaxaca state as a dangerous Category 3 storm Thursday morning, unleashing powerful winds at the coast while spreading heavy rain over the region. The hurricane made landfall about 20 miles east of Punta Maldonado, Mexico, just after 6 a.m. CDT Thursday, according to NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Winds of 125 mph were roaring around its center at landfall. The storm came ashore about 100 miles east of Acapulco, the city devastated by Hurricane Otis in October 2023. Erick is the first major hurricane – Category 3 or greater – on record to hit Mexico before July. The hurricane maxed out as a ferocious Category 4 storm with 145 mph winds just off the coast in the earliest hours of Thursday morning. It underwent extreme rapid intensification from Tuesday night into Wednesday night, strengthening from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in just 24 hours. Rapid intensification is becoming more frequent in a world warming due to fossil fuel pollution. Erick will deteriorate quickly as it tracks through Mexico's steep mountains Thursday and is should dissipate by early Friday. It was already a Category 1 hurricane a few hours after landfall. Despite that, it will drop a troubling amount of rain in a short period that could cause dangerous flooding. The East Pacific hurricane season has been very busy since it began in mid-May. Erick is already the fifth named storm of the season – storms are named when they reach at least tropical storm-strength – and the second hurricane. The basin doesn't typically have its second hurricane until mid-July, according to NOAA. The Atlantic hurricane season is also underway, but has yet to churn out its first named storm and there's little prospect for it in the next few days. President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Wednesday night that all activities in the region in Erick's path were suspended and she urged people to stay in their homes or to move to shelters if they lived in low-lying areas, the Associated Press reported. Acapulco's port closed Tuesday evening. Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado said all movement in Acapulco and other beach communities was to be suspended at 8 p.m. Wednesday in a post on X, and schools across the state were to remain closed through Thursday. Salgado said 582 shelters were set to receive people who might evacuate their homes across Guerrero. Laura Velázquez, Mexico's national civil defense coordinator, said Erick was forecast to bring 'torrential' rains to Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas states, according to the AP. The mountainous region along the southern coast is especially prone to mudslides with numerous rivers at risk of flooding. Nearly 16 inches of rain could fall through the end of the week in some portions of Guerrero's mountainous terrain, according to the NHC. This could trigger life-threatening flooding or mudslides. Up to 8 inches of rain is possible in the same timeframe for coastal areas of Oaxaca and Guerrero. Acapulco could record up to 6 inches of rain from Erick, but will not face the hurricane's most powerful winds. Tropical storm-force gusts up to 45 mph are possible in the area Thursday. In Acapulco on Wednesday, there was a strong presence of National Guard and police in the streets, but most visible were trucks from the national power company, the AP reported. Crews worked to clear drainage canals and brush. The memory of Hurricane Otis haunted some residents as they prepared for Erick. Otis underwent some of the most extreme rapid intensification on record and strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane just before landfall. Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant at the edge of an Acapulco beach when Otis slammed the resort with devastating winds, he told the AP. On Wednesday, he directed workers storing tables and chairs. 'Authorities' warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we've already been through,' Ozuna Romero said in reference to Otis. CNN Meteorologist Monica Garrett contributed to this report.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Erick makes landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, the strongest to hit Mexico so early in the year
Hurricane Erick slammed into Mexico's Oaxaca state as a dangerous Category 3 storm Thursday morning, unleashing powerful winds at the coast while spreading heavy rain over the region. The hurricane made landfall about 20 miles east of Punta Maldonado, Mexico, just after 6 a.m. CDT Thursday, according to NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Winds of 125 mph were roaring around its center at landfall. The storm came ashore about 100 miles east of Acapulco, the city devastated by Hurricane Otis in October 2023. Erick is the first major hurricane – Category 3 or greater – on record to hit Mexico before July. The hurricane maxed out as a ferocious Category 4 storm with 145 mph winds just off the coast in the earliest hours of Thursday morning. It underwent extreme rapid intensification from Tuesday night into Wednesday night, strengthening from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in just 24 hours. Rapid intensification is becoming more frequent in a world warming due to fossil fuel pollution. Erick will deteriorate quickly as it tracks through Mexico's steep mountains Thursday and is should dissipate by early Friday. It was already a Category 1 hurricane a few hours after landfall. Despite that, it will drop a troubling amount of rain in a short period that could cause dangerous flooding. The East Pacific hurricane season has been very busy since it began in mid-May. Erick is already the fifth named storm of the season – storms are named when they reach at least tropical storm-strength – and the second hurricane. The basin doesn't typically have its second hurricane until mid-July, according to NOAA. The Atlantic hurricane season is also underway, but has yet to churn out its first named storm and there's little prospect for it in the next few days. President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Wednesday night that all activities in the region in Erick's path were suspended and she urged people to stay in their homes or to move to shelters if they lived in low-lying areas, the Associated Press reported. Acapulco's port closed Tuesday evening. Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado said all movement in Acapulco and other beach communities was to be suspended at 8 p.m. Wednesday in a post on X, and schools across the state were to remain closed through Thursday. Salgado said 582 shelters were set to receive people who might evacuate their homes across Guerrero. Laura Velázquez, Mexico's national civil defense coordinator, said Erick was forecast to bring 'torrential' rains to Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas states, according to the AP. The mountainous region along the southern coast is especially prone to mudslides with numerous rivers at risk of flooding. Nearly 16 inches of rain could fall through the end of the week in some portions of Guerrero's mountainous terrain, according to the NHC. This could trigger life-threatening flooding or mudslides. Up to 8 inches of rain is possible in the same timeframe for coastal areas of Oaxaca and Guerrero. Acapulco could record up to 6 inches of rain from Erick, but will not face the hurricane's most powerful winds. Tropical storm-force gusts up to 45 mph are possible in the area Thursday. In Acapulco on Wednesday, there was a strong presence of National Guard and police in the streets, but most visible were trucks from the national power company, the AP reported. Crews worked to clear drainage canals and brush. The memory of Hurricane Otis haunted some residents as they prepared for Erick. Otis underwent some of the most extreme rapid intensification on record and strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane just before landfall. Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant at the edge of an Acapulco beach when Otis slammed the resort with devastating winds, he told the AP. On Wednesday, he directed workers storing tables and chairs. 'Authorities' warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we've already been through,' Ozuna Romero said in reference to Otis. CNN Meteorologist Monica Garrett contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erick slams Mexico's Pacific Coast as a powerful Cat 3 storm
Hurricane Erick, which rapidly intensified overnight, made landfall Thursday morning on Mexico's Pacific Coast as a powerful Category 3 storm, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Erick came ashore in Mexico's western state of Oaxaca packing sustained winds of 125 mph and heavy rain, accordin to the NHC. The hurricane was located on Thursday morning about 20 miles east of Punta Maldonado and was moving northwest at about 9 mph, according to the NHC. Before making landfall, the Erick had spooled up to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, but was downgraded to a Cat 3 before making landfall, the NHC center reported. Erick is the first Pacific Category 3 hurricane on record to make landfall over Mexico in June. A hurricane warning remained in effect Thursday from Acapulco to Puerto Angel. It remained unclear if villages along Mexico's populated Pacific Coast had sustained damaged. There have been no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. MORE: From severe storms to sizzling heat, Midwest and Northeast in store for whiplash weather change The major hurricane appeared to hit he coastline between the resort towns of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido in an area near the border of Oaxaca and Guerrero states, according to the NHC. As it sweeps across the state of Oaxaca, Erick is expected to slam parts of the region with strong winds and heavy rain for most of Thursday before weakening over land by Friday. MORE: Video How the outlook for hurricane season could be impacted by climate change Erick will produce heavy rainfall up to 6 to 8 inches across southeastern Guerrero and west-coastal Oaxaca through Friday and likely trigger life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides -- especially in areas of steep terrain. Erick formed as a tropical storm early Tuesday in the Pacific Ocean near southern Mexico and rapidly intensified, reaching hurricane strength by Wednesday, according to the NHC.
