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TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- Climate
- TimesLIVE
Hurricane Erick weakens to tropical storm over Mexico, leaves trail of damage
Erick weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall as a major hurricane on Mexico's southern Pacific coast on Thursday, leaving flooded streets, damaged boats and buildings in Oaxaca as authorities warned of dangerous rains. Erick made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near the resort town Puerto Escondido about 5:30am local time (1130 GMT). By midafternoon, it had slowed to a tropical storm as it moved inland, with sustained winds weakening to 50mph (85kph). In coastal towns, residents began clearing debris. 'There are many boats sunk here,' said fisherman Eduardo Gonzalez in Puerto Escondido. 'We're here to help our colleagues.' Officials cautioned that Erick's intense rains remained dangerous. 'Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are expected, especially in areas of steep terrain,' the US National Hurricane Center said, forecasting up to 8 inches (20cm) of rain for Guerrero state with up to 4 inches for its neighbouring Oaxaca and Michoacan states. Mexico's environment ministry also had warned of waves of up to 10 meters (33 feet). No deaths were immediately reported, Laura Velazquez, the head of Mexico's civil protection agency, said at a press conference. Two hospitals had suffered damage and power supply was compromised, she added. State-owned utility CFE reported that more than 123,000 users had lost power in Oaxaca, with service restored to 26% by late morning. Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara said roads and highways were significantly damaged. Erick is the earliest major hurricane to make landfall in the eastern Pacific, meteorologists from AccuWeather said. 'Rapid intensification near coastal cities is a major concern this hurricane water temperatures continue to increase,' said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert. Areas about Acapulco are especially vulnerable, AccuWeather said, as the beach town is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Otis which hit in 2023.
The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Erick weakens over Mexico, leaves trail of damage
Erick has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall as a major hurricane on Mexico's southern Pacific coast, with authorities warning of dangerous rains. Erick made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near the resort town Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca around 5:30 am local time. Buildings and boats were damaged, and leaving areas strewn with debris, and streets were flooded. By mid-afternoon, it had slowed to a tropical storm as it moved inland, with sustained winds weakening to 85 kph. In coastal towns, residents began clearing the damage. "There are many boats sunk here," said fisherman Eduardo Gonzalez in Puerto Escondido. "We're here to help our colleagues." Officials cautioned that Erick's intense rains remained dangerous. "Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are expected, especially in areas of steep terrain," the US National Hurricane Centre said, forecasting up to 20 cm of rain for Guerrero state with around 10 cm for its neighbouring Oaxaca and Michoacan states. Mexico's environment ministry also warned of waves of up to 10 metres. No deaths were immediately reported, Laura Velazquez, the head of Mexico's civil protection agency, said at a press conference. Two hospitals had suffered damage and power supply was compromised, she added. State-owned utility CFE reported that more than 123,000 users had lost power in Oaxaca, with service restored to 26 per cent by late morning. Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara said roads and highways were significantly damaged. Erick is the earliest major hurricane to make landfall in the eastern Pacific, meteorologists from AccuWeather said. "Rapid intensification near coastal cities is a major concern this hurricane water temperatures continue to increase," said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert. Areas around Acapulco are especially vulnerable, AccuWeather said, as the beach town is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Otis which hit in 2023. Erick has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall as a major hurricane on Mexico's southern Pacific coast, with authorities warning of dangerous rains. Erick made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near the resort town Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca around 5:30 am local time. Buildings and boats were damaged, and leaving areas strewn with debris, and streets were flooded. By mid-afternoon, it had slowed to a tropical storm as it moved inland, with sustained winds weakening to 85 kph. In coastal towns, residents began clearing the damage. "There are many boats sunk here," said fisherman Eduardo Gonzalez in Puerto Escondido. "We're here to help our colleagues." Officials cautioned that Erick's intense rains remained dangerous. "Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are expected, especially in areas of steep terrain," the US National Hurricane Centre said, forecasting up to 20 cm of rain for Guerrero state with around 10 cm for its neighbouring Oaxaca and Michoacan states. Mexico's environment ministry also warned of waves of up to 10 metres. No deaths were immediately reported, Laura Velazquez, the head of Mexico's civil protection agency, said at a press conference. Two hospitals had suffered damage and power supply was compromised, she added. State-owned utility CFE reported that more than 123,000 users had lost power in Oaxaca, with service restored to 26 per cent by late morning. Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara said roads and highways were significantly damaged. Erick is the earliest major hurricane to make landfall in the eastern Pacific, meteorologists from AccuWeather said. "Rapid intensification near coastal cities is a major concern this hurricane water temperatures continue to increase," said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert. Areas around Acapulco are especially vulnerable, AccuWeather said, as the beach town is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Otis which hit in 2023. Erick has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall as a major hurricane on Mexico's southern Pacific coast, with authorities warning of dangerous rains. Erick made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near the resort town Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca around 5:30 am local time. Buildings and boats were damaged, and leaving areas strewn with debris, and streets were flooded. By mid-afternoon, it had slowed to a tropical storm as it moved inland, with sustained winds weakening to 85 kph. In coastal towns, residents began clearing the damage. "There are many boats sunk here," said fisherman Eduardo Gonzalez in Puerto Escondido. "We're here to help our colleagues." Officials cautioned that Erick's intense rains remained dangerous. "Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are expected, especially in areas of steep terrain," the US National Hurricane Centre said, forecasting up to 20 cm of rain for Guerrero state with around 10 cm for its neighbouring Oaxaca and Michoacan states. Mexico's environment ministry also warned of waves of up to 10 metres. No deaths were immediately reported, Laura Velazquez, the head of Mexico's civil protection agency, said at a press conference. Two hospitals had suffered damage and power supply was compromised, she added. State-owned utility CFE reported that more than 123,000 users had lost power in Oaxaca, with service restored to 26 per cent by late morning. Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara said roads and highways were significantly damaged. Erick is the earliest major hurricane to make landfall in the eastern Pacific, meteorologists from AccuWeather said. "Rapid intensification near coastal cities is a major concern this hurricane water temperatures continue to increase," said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert. Areas around Acapulco are especially vulnerable, AccuWeather said, as the beach town is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Otis which hit in 2023. Erick has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall as a major hurricane on Mexico's southern Pacific coast, with authorities warning of dangerous rains. Erick made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near the resort town Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca around 5:30 am local time. Buildings and boats were damaged, and leaving areas strewn with debris, and streets were flooded. By mid-afternoon, it had slowed to a tropical storm as it moved inland, with sustained winds weakening to 85 kph. In coastal towns, residents began clearing the damage. "There are many boats sunk here," said fisherman Eduardo Gonzalez in Puerto Escondido. "We're here to help our colleagues." Officials cautioned that Erick's intense rains remained dangerous. "Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are expected, especially in areas of steep terrain," the US National Hurricane Centre said, forecasting up to 20 cm of rain for Guerrero state with around 10 cm for its neighbouring Oaxaca and Michoacan states. Mexico's environment ministry also warned of waves of up to 10 metres. No deaths were immediately reported, Laura Velazquez, the head of Mexico's civil protection agency, said at a press conference. Two hospitals had suffered damage and power supply was compromised, she added. State-owned utility CFE reported that more than 123,000 users had lost power in Oaxaca, with service restored to 26 per cent by late morning. Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara said roads and highways were significantly damaged. Erick is the earliest major hurricane to make landfall in the eastern Pacific, meteorologists from AccuWeather said. "Rapid intensification near coastal cities is a major concern this hurricane water temperatures continue to increase," said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert. Areas around Acapulco are especially vulnerable, AccuWeather said, as the beach town is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Otis which hit in 2023.
The Star
11 hours ago
- Climate
- The Star
Erick downgraded to Category 1 after drenching south Mexico's Oaxaca, Guerrero states
MEXICO CITY, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Erick was downgraded to a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale of storm intensity as it dumped rain on southern Mexico Thursday, causing floods, damage to homes, power outages and roadblocks in parts of Oaxaca and Guerrero states. According to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), the fifth tropical cyclone of the 2025 season in the Pacific Ocean made landfall at 5:30 a.m. local time as a Category 3 hurricane in the town of Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca, with sustained winds of 205 km per hour and gusts of up to 250 km per hour. By 9:15 a.m., the center of the storm was approximately 50 km north-northwest of Punta Maldonado, Guerrero, with maximum sustained winds of 140 km per hour and gusts of up to 165 km per hour, while moving northwest at a speed of 19 km per hour. Despite losing steam, Erick still threatens south Mexico with torrential rains, and heavy rainfall in parts of Chiapas (southeast), southern Veracruz (east), and southern Puebla (center), the weather service said. Gusts of up to 160 km per hour and waves of up to five meters high were expected to hit the states' coastal areas. Mexico's National Coordinator of Civil Protection, Laura Velazquez, said at the government's daily morning press conference that no fatalities have been reported so far. However, she added, the storm has already caused significant damage in at least 14 towns in Oaxaca, including inundating a hospital run by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Huatulco, overflowing rivers in Ixtepec, and washing away roads, downing trees and knocking out power. Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara announced that as a preventive measure, commercial and private flights were suspended at the airports of Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, both tourism destinations located on the coastal strip hardest hit by the hurricane. As it continues its northwestward trajectory, Erick poses a risk to mountainous and coastal areas of southern Mexico, so authorities remain on alert.
France 24
2 days ago
- Climate
- France 24
Hurricane Erick strengthens on approach to Mexico's Pacific coast
The NHC said it expected Erick to bring "damaging winds and life-threatening flash floods to portions of southern Mexico" when it makes landfall early Thursday. Erick was 165 kilometers (105 miles) from the town of Puerto Angel in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, packing maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers an hour, the meteorological center said. It had strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane after reaching Category 1 on Wednesday morning. "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," the NHC said. 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 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. Laura Velazquez, national coordinator of civil protection, said the government was using the preventive patrols and social media to warn people. Around 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 in any clean-up effort. 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. John, a Category 3 storm that hit in September last year, caused about 15 deaths.
