Hurricane Erick Timeline as 'Life-Threatening' Storm Nears Landfall
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Hurricane Erick is expected to make landfall in Mexico during the early morning hours on Thursday, though some impacts from the life-threatening storm could arrive sooner, according to a forecast by the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
When reached for comment, the NHC directed Newsweek to the most recent forecasts for the storm.
Why It Matters
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season began on May 15 and has seen an active start. Tropical Storm Alvin kicked off the season in late May, followed by Hurricane Barbara, Tropical Storm Cosme and Tropical Storm Dalila in June.
Now, the fifth storm, Hurricane Erick, is strengthening off the southwestern coast of Mexico and is expected to be the first storm to make landfall.
The most recent forecast path for Hurricane Erick.
The most recent forecast path for Hurricane Erick.
National Hurricane Center
What To Know
As of the most recent data from the NHC, Erick is a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 85 mph. The storm is expected to rapidly strengthen and become a Category 3 major hurricane by the time it makes landfall.
"Erick rapidly intensifying and forecast to become a major hurricane," a public advisory from the NHC said on Wednesday morning. "Expected to bring damaging winds and life-threatening flash floods to portions of southern Mexico late tonight and Thursday."
The NHC anticipates tropical storm-force winds will reach Southern Mexico by Wednesday evening. The winds will progress in a northwest direction and will continue impacting Mexico through Thursday.
Heavy rainfall also poses a risk with this storm, with some parts of coastal Oaxaca and Guerrera expecting as much as 20 inches of rain. Rain is set to begin on Wednesday night, AccuWeather reported, and also will move in a northwest direction with the storm. Rain will likely continue through the end of the week.
The storm looks to make landfall Thursday morning. It will then trek northwest across Mexico throughout Thursday as it weakens back to tropical storm strength by Thursday night.
In addition to dangerous winds and rainfall amounts, the storm will also cause life-threatening rip currents along the coast.
What People Are Saying
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva, in a report: "We expect Erick to drift northwestward and close in on the southwestern coast of Mexico. Erick will rapidly strengthen for a time as it approaches the coast. Erick may track very close to Acapulco with the full impacts you would expect from a hurricane, ranging from powerful wind gusts and power outages to torrential rain and flash flooding, as well as storm surge flooding."
The NHC, in a forecast about Erick: "Erick is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph (13 km/h). A northwestward motion with a gradual increase in forward speed is expected later today or tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Erick is expected to approach the coast of southern Mexico late tonight and move inland or be near the coast on Thursday.
"Erick is rapidly intensifying, and maximum sustained winds have increased to near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Rapid strengthening is expected to continue today, and Erick is forecast to reach major hurricane strength tonight or early Thursday as it approaches the coast of southern Mexico."
What Happens Next
Impacts from the storm will begin later Wednesday and will persist at least through Thursday, although rain could continue into Friday. People in the affected areas are urged to follow guidance from local officials.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
Here's why Hurricane Erick is quickly strengthening into dangerous storm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Having doubled in strength in less than a day and still expected to grow further, Hurricane Erick on Wednesday chugged through the ideal environment to power up quickly as it approached Mexico's southern Pacific Coast. This type of rapid intensification has become more common in a warmer climate, especially in the Atlantic and near the United States, which is not where Erick is now, scientists said. 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 National Hurricane Center. Erick, an otherwise run-of-the-mill hurricane that's strong but not unusual, gained 50 mph in just 18 hours and was still powering up as it neared the coast. The only thing that's unusual so far is that this is the fifth eastern Pacific storm a month into the season there, which is a little more active than normal, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. And it's likely that when Erick hits, it will be the strongest storm to make landfall in that part of Mexico this early in the season, he said. On average, the fifth named storm first appears in the Eastern Pacific basin around July 23, according to the hurricane center. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season, which starts May 15 and runs through Nov. 30, averages 15 named storms, eight of which become hurricanes with four of those reaching major status of winds more than 110 mph (177 kph). In general, the eastern Pacific tends to have about one storm a year more than the Atlantic. But Atlantic storms tend to cause more destruction because they hit more populated areas. Because of where Erik is headed — nearing Acapulco — and its rapid intensification, the storm brings back bad memories of deadly Otis, which seemed to come from out of nowhere to smack Mexico with a top-of-the-scale Category 5 hurricane in 2023. But Erick is no Otis, especially because of their timing. Erick is an early-season storm and Otis hit in October. Forming in October, Otis grew stronger by churning up deeper and warmer water because it was later in the year. Erick is early in the year and the deep water it would churn up is cooler and doesn't fuel rapid intensification. Even so, the surface water is plenty hot enough, said MIT hurricane scientist Kerry Emanuel. All the ingredients are otherwise perfect for Erick's power-up, said University at Albany atmospheric scientist Kristen Corbosiero. Dry air often stops rapid intensification, but Erick hasn't run into dry air and the atmosphere around it is extremely moist, she said. It's got a good stormy eye forming and has what would be the ideal shape of a strengthening storm, she said. Studies have linked human-caused climate change in general to more bouts of rapid intensification, as well as wetter and slower storms, Corbosiero said. But it would take more study, usually after the storm hits, to find any potential link between global warming and Erick in particular, if there is one, she said. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Washington Post
36 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Here's why Hurricane Erick is quickly strengthening into dangerous storm
WASHINGTON — Having doubled in strength in less than a day and still expected to grow further, Hurricane Erick on Wednesday chugged through the ideal environment to power up quickly as it approached Mexico's southern Pacific Coast. This type of rapid intensification has become more common in a warmer climate , especially in the Atlantic and near the United States , which is not where Erick is now, scientists said. 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 National Hurricane Center.
San Francisco Chronicle
40 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Here's why Hurricane Erick is quickly strengthening into dangerous storm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Having doubled in strength in less than a day and still expected to grow further, Hurricane Erick on Wednesday chugged through the ideal environment to power up quickly as it approached Mexico's southern Pacific Coast. This type of rapid intensification has become more common in a warmer climate, especially in the Atlantic and near the United States, which is not where Erick is now, scientists said. 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 National Hurricane Center. Erick, an otherwise run-of-the-mill hurricane that's strong but not unusual, gained 50 mph in just 18 hours and was still powering up as it neared the coast. The only thing that's unusual so far is that this is the fifth eastern Pacific storm a month into the season there, which is a little more active than normal, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. And it's likely that when Erick hits, it will be the strongest storm to make landfall in that part of Mexico this early in the season, he said. On average, the fifth named storm first appears in the Eastern Pacific basin around July 23, according to the hurricane center. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season, which starts May 15 and runs through Nov. 30, averages 15 named storms, eight of which become hurricanes with four of those reaching major status of winds more than 110 mph (177 kph). In general, the eastern Pacific tends to have about one storm a year more than the Atlantic. But Atlantic storms tend to cause more destruction because they hit more populated areas. Because of where Erik is headed — nearing Acapulco — and its rapid intensification, the storm brings back bad memories of deadly Otis, which seemed to come from out of nowhere to smack Mexico with a top-of-the-scale Category 5 hurricane in 2023. But Erick is no Otis, especially because of their timing. Erick is an early-season storm and Otis hit in October. Forming in October, Otis grew stronger by churning up deeper and warmer water because it was later in the year. Erick is early in the year and the deep water it would churn up is cooler and doesn't fuel rapid intensification. Even so, the surface water is plenty hot enough, said MIT hurricane scientist Kerry Emanuel. All the ingredients are otherwise perfect for Erick's power-up, said University at Albany atmospheric scientist Kristen Corbosiero. Dry air often stops rapid intensification, but Erick hasn't run into dry air and the atmosphere around it is extremely moist, she said. It's got a good stormy eye forming and has what would be the ideal shape of a strengthening storm, she said. Studies have linked human-caused climate change in general to more bouts of rapid intensification, as well as wetter and slower storms, Corbosiero said. But it would take more study, usually after the storm hits, to find any potential link between global warming and Erick in particular, if there is one, she said. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
