Hurricane Erick strengthens as it barrels toward Mexico
Hurricane Erick barreled down on Mexico's Pacific coast Wednesday having strengthened to a powerful Category 3 storm, the US National Hurricane Center said, warning of potentially deadly floods.
Erick is expected to bring "potentially destructive winds and life-threatening flash floods to portions of southern Mexico" late Wednesday and Thursday, the center's latest bulletin said.
By 0000 GMT, Erick was moving northwest at a speed of nearly nine miles (15 kilometers) per hour with maximum sustained winds approaching 120 mph (195 km/h) and higher gusts.
The hurricane is expected to stengthen before making landfall, bringing with it storm surges, coastal flooding and destructive waves.
Forecasters warned of intense rainfall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, bringing "life-threatening flooding and mudslides."
Mexican authorities said they were also expecting heavy rain in Chiapas state.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to avoid going out and advised those living in low-lying areas or near rivers to move to shelters.
In Acapulco, a major port and resort city famous for its nightlife, police with bullhorns walked the beach and drove around town warning residents and holidaymakers of the storm's arrival.
Some shops boarded up their windows and operators of tourist boats brought their vessels ashore.
Rainfall began in the late afternoon after a sunny day.
About 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of Acapulco, the city of Puerto Escondido and its 30,000 inhabitants braced for the hurricane's effects.
Restaurants were already closed despite tourists unwilling to give up their vacations, an AFP journalist noted from the scene.
"They say it's going to hit this side of the coast, so we're taking precautions to avoid having any regrets later," Adalberto Ruiz, a 55-year-old fisherman sheltering his boat, told AFP.
Laura Velazquez, national coordinator of civil protection, said the government was using patrols and social media to warn people.
Some 2,000 temporary shelters have been set up in Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca, and hundreds of troops and electricity workers have been deployed to help with any clean-up efforts.
Local authorities have suspended classes and closed ports along the coast, including the port of Acapulco, to shipping.
Mexico sees major storms every year, usually between May and November, on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
In October 2023, Acapulco was pummeled by Hurricane Otis, a powerful Category 5 storm that killed at least 50 people.
Hurricane John, another Category 3 storm that hit Acapulco in September last year, caused about 15 deaths.
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Yahoo
15 minutes ago
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Erick upgraded to an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 hurricane, US forecasters say
PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Mexico (AP) — Southern Mexico's Pacific coast was braced for a Thursday morning impact with the approach of Hurricane Erick, which was upgraded to an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 early Thursday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The major storm threatens to unleash destructive winds near where the eye crashes ashore, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters said. The Miami-based center reported Erick was about 70 miles (110 kilometers) west-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, and about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) and was moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph). A hurricane is defined as Category 4 when wind speeds reach 130-156 mph (209-251 kph). Storm moves south on approach Late Wednesday, Erick's projected path crept south, closer to the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state, and centered on a sparsely populated stretch of coastline between the Oaxacan resort and Acapulco to the northwest. President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Wednesday night that all activities in the region were suspended and she urged people to stay in their homes or to 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 there 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 stores closed and the streets emptied. Earlier in the day, fishermen in Puerto Escondido pulled their boats out of the water ahead of the storm's arrival. Some surfers continued to ride waves at the Zicatela beach, even with red flags up to warn people to stay out of the water. The storm's course shift could be welcome relief for residents of storm-battered Acapulco. The city of nearly 1 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. Acapulco still scarred by Otis Acapulco residents said they were bracing for Erick's arrival with more preparation and trepidation because of the memory of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Otis two years earlier. Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado said via X that all movement in Acapulco and other beach communities was to be suspended at 8 p.m. Schools across the state were to remain closed for a second day Thursday. Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant at the edge of an Acapulco beach when Otis slammed the resort with devastating winds. 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. Elsewhere, workers nailed sheets of plywood over shop windows and stacked sandbags outside doorways. Cars lined up to fill their tanks and shoppers made last-minute purchases before rushing home. Verónica Gómez struggled through the streets of Acapulco with a large jug of water. 'We're all afraid because we think the same thing could happen,' said the 40-year-old employee of a shipping company. But she said she and others learned a lot from Otis. 'Now it's not going to catch us by surprise," she said, holding out a bag of canned food as evidence. 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. Crews worked to clear drainage canals and brush. Rain could be Erick's legacy 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 16 inches (40 centimeters) could fall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states, the center's advisory said. The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain. A hurricane warning was in effect from Acapulco to Puerto Ángel. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected in the area, and preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion, according to the hurricane center advisory. Laura Velázquez, Mexico's national civil defense coordinator, said Erick was forecast to bring 'torrential' rains to Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas in southern Mexico. The mountainous region along the coast is especially prone to mudslides with numerous rivers at risk of flooding. Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado said all schools would remain closed and the state had alerted all of the fishing and tourism operators to make their boats storm-ready. Acapulco's port closed Tuesday evening. Salgado said 582 shelters were set to receive people who might evacuate their homes. Sheinbaum warned in her daily briefing that those in the hurricane's path should heed government instructions and wait out the storm in their homes or designated shelters. Erick quickly doubled in strength Having doubled in strength in less than a day, Erick was churning through an ideal environment for quick intensification. Last year, there were 34 incidents of rapid intensification — when a storm gains at least 35 mph in 24 hours — which is about twice as many as average and causes problems with forecasting, according to the hurricane center. __ Sánchez reported from Acapulco, Mexico.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Erick upgraded to an ‘extremely dangerous' Category 4 hurricane, forecasters say
Southern Mexico's Pacific coast was braced for a Thursday morning impact with the approach of Hurricane Erick, which was upgraded to an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 early Thursday, the US National Hurricane Center said. The major storm threatens to unleash destructive winds near where the eye crashes ashore, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters said. The Miami-based center reported Erick was about 70 miles west-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, and about 90 miles southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico. Advertisement 6 A red flag flutters in the wind, warning beachgoers of dangerous conditions as Hurricane Erick strengthens off Mexico's Pacific Coast, in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca state, Mexico, on June 18, 2025. REUTERS The storm had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and was moving northwest at 9 mph. A hurricane is defined as Category 4 when wind speeds reach 130-156 mph. Storm moves south on approach Advertisement Late Wednesday, Erick's projected path crept south, closer to the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state, and centered on a sparsely populated stretch of coastline between the Oaxacan resort and Acapulco to the northwest. President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Wednesday night that all activities in the region were suspended and she urged people to stay in their homes or to 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 there for safety. 6 The major storm threatens to unleash destructive winds near where the eye crashes ashore, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters said. National Hurricane center Advertisement 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 stores closed and the streets emptied. Earlier in the day, fishermen in Puerto Escondido pulled their boats out of the water ahead of the storm's arrival. Some surfers continued to ride waves at the Zicatela beach, even with red flags up to warn people to stay out of the water. The storm's course shift could be welcome relief for residents of storm-battered Acapulco. Advertisement The city of nearly 1 million was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared. 6 The Miami-based center reported Erick was about 70 miles west-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, and about 90 miles southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico. NOAA At least 52 people died in Otis and the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort's hotels. Acapulco still scarred by Otis Acapulco residents said they were bracing for Erick's arrival with more preparation and trepidation because of the memory of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Otis two years earlier. Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado said via X that all movement in Acapulco and other beach communities was to be suspended at 8 p.m. Schools across the state were to remain closed for a second day Thursday. Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant at the edge of an Acapulco beach when Otis slammed the resort with devastating winds. On Wednesday, he directed workers storing tables and chairs. 6 People put up planks of wood against a building as a protection, as Hurricane Erick strengthens off Mexico's Pacific Coast, in Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico, on June 18, 2025. REUTERS Advertisement 'Authorities' warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we've already been through,' Ozuna Romero said in reference to Otis. Elsewhere, workers nailed sheets of plywood over shop windows and stacked sandbags outside doorways. Cars lined up to fill their tanks and shoppers made last-minute purchases before rushing home. Verónica Gómez struggled through the streets of Acapulco with a large jug of water. 'We're all afraid because we think the same thing could happen,' said the 40-year-old employee of a shipping company. But she said she and others learned a lot from Otis. 'Now it's not going to catch us by surprise,' she said, holding out a bag of canned food as evidence. Advertisement 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. Crews worked to clear drainage canals and brush. 6 This frame grab from AFPTV video footage shows the beach of the popular tourist town of Puerto Escondido as Hurricane Erick approaches Mexico's Pacific coast as a powerful Category 3 storm in Oaxaca state, Mexico on June 18, 2025. AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images Rain could be Erick's legacy 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 16 inches could fall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states, the center's advisory said. The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain. Advertisement A hurricane warning was in effect from Acapulco to Puerto Ángel. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected in the area, and preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion, according to the hurricane center advisory. Laura Velázquez, Mexico's national civil defense coordinator, said Erick was forecast to bring 'torrential' rains to Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas in southern Mexico. 6 A hurricane is defined as Category 4 when wind speeds reach 130-156 mph. National Hurricane center The mountainous region along the coast is especially prone to mudslides with numerous rivers at risk of flooding. Advertisement Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado said all schools would remain closed and the state had alerted all of the fishing and tourism operators to make their boats storm-ready. Acapulco's port closed Tuesday evening. Salgado said 582 shelters were set to receive people who might evacuate their homes. Sheinbaum warned in her daily briefing that those in the hurricane's path should heed government instructions and wait out the storm in their homes or designated shelters. Erick quickly doubled in strength Having doubled in strength in less than a day, Erick was churning through an ideal environment for quick intensification. Last year, there were 34 incidents of rapid intensification — when a storm gains at least 35 mph in 24 hours — which is about twice as many as average and causes problems with forecasting, according to the hurricane center.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
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South Africa Declares National Disaster After Floods Kill 92
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