Hurricane "Eric" strengthened to "extremely dangerous" Category 4 on its way to Mexico
Kyiv • UNN
Mexico's southern coast may face devastating winds, heavy rains, and storm surge as Hurricane "Eric" approaches. The President has called for evacuations and a halt to activities in the region.
Mexico's southern Pacific coast prepared for impact from the storm early Thursday as Hurricane Erick approached, which was upgraded early Thursday to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, reports Ukrinform referring to AP.
Details
The powerful storm threatens to unleash destructive winds near the landfall site, flash flooding and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters say.
The Miami-based center said Erick was about 110 kilometers west-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, and about 145 kilometers south-southeast of Punta Maldonado. The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds were 230 kilometers per hour and it was moving northwest at 15 kilometers per hour.
In Wednesday evening, Erick’s likely path shifted southward, closer to the resort town of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state and focused on a sparsely populated stretch of coast between the Oaxaca resort and Acapulco to the northwest.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video address Wednesday evening that all activities in the region were halted and she urged people to stay in their homes or move to shelters if they lived in low-lying areas.
By nightfall, waves were crashing over the esplanade in Puerto Escondido, inundating wooden fishing boats pulled there for safekeeping. The beach disappeared under the onslaught of waves, and the high tide already reached the interiors of some beachfront restaurants.
Earlier in the day, fishermen in Puerto Escondido wheeled their boats out of the water ahead of the approaching storm. Some surfers continued to ride waves at Zicatela beach even with red flags warning people away from the water.
The storm’s change in direction could offer long-awaited relief for residents of Acapulco, devastated in October 2023 by Category 5 Hurricane Otis, the publication notes.
Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado said via X that all traffic in Acapulco and other beach communities would be shut down at 8 p.m. Schools across the state were to remain closed for a second day on Thursday. The port of Acapulco closed Tuesday evening.
In Acapulco on Wednesday, the streets were thick with National Guard troops and police, but most visible were trucks from the national power company. Crews were working to clear drainage ditches and brush.
Forecasters said Erick was expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and storm surge to Mexico’s Pacific coast. Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero could receive up to 40 centimeters of rain, with lesser amounts in the states of Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco, the center said. The rainfall threatens to cause flooding and landslides, particularly in areas with steep terrain.
A hurricane warning extended from Acapulco to Puerto Angel.
Laura Velazquez, 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 particularly prone to landslides, and numerous rivers are at risk of overflowing their banks.
Having doubled its strength in a day, Erick was churning through an environment ripe for rapid intensification, the publication writes.