Latest news with #HurricaneErick
CNN
2 hours ago
- Climate
- CNN
Video: Erick makes landfall as Category 3 hurricane in Mexico
Hurricane Erick slammed into Mexico's Oaxaca state as a dangerous Category 3 storm Thursday morning, unleashing powerful winds along the coast and spreading heavy rain over the region.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Mexico assessing damage from Hurricane Erick after storm killed 2
Residents and authorities in southern Mexico are assessing the damage and watching for rising rivers as rain from the remnants of Hurricane Erick doused the region. Landslides and flooding were an ongoing concern for officials after Erick – once a Category 4 hurricane — dissipated following landfall early Thursday. At least two deaths have been confirmed – a 1-year-old boy who drowned in a swollen river in Guerrero state and a man was electrocuted while helping with debris removal in Oaxaca state, officials said. An aerial view of the damage following Hurricane Erick in Chacahua, Oaxaca state, Mexico. CARLO ECHEGOYEN/AFP via Getty Images Erick came ashore down southern Mexico's Pacific coast Thursday morning as a Category 3 major hurricane. It landed between the resort cities of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido. Erick had strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it approached the coast, but weakened to a Category 2 storm before making landfall. Having doubled in strength in less than a day, Erick churned through an ideal environment for quick intensification. Last year, there were 34 incidents of rapid intensification — when a storm gains at least 55 kph (35 mph) in 24 hours — which is about twice the average and causes problems with forecasting, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Authorities reported landslides, blocked highways, downed power lines and some flooding as coastal residents, above all in Acapulco, took the storm seriously with memories of the devastating Hurricane Otis in 2023 still fresh in their minds. Erick wiped out power to more than 120,000 customers at one point. Locals look at damage after Hurricane Erick in Bahia Principal, Puerto Escondido, state of Oaxaca, Mexico. CARLO ECHEGOYEN/AFP via Getty Images "It was very strong, very ugly... the entire town is homeless, without clothes, we have no help," Francisca Avila, a 45-year-old housewife, told AFP, as she surveyed the loss of most of her belongings. In Puerto Escondido, fishermen searched for and inspected storm-tossed boats and residents cleared downed trees and other debris. Much of the town of about 30,000 people was left without electricity or cellphone coverage, AFP reported. The remnants of the storm dissipated Thursday night over the mountains in Michoacan state. Restaurants, shops and supermarkets gradually reopened in Acapulco, but schools remained closed across Guerrero on Friday as authorities continued to assess damage, clear debris and monitor rising rivers. "Many of us were frightened, but now it has passed," said Juan Carlos Castañeda, a 49-year-old security guard at an Acapulco condominium complex. He said the "tragedy of Otis marked all of us." Despite the rain, Castañeda decided to go out for a walk. A view of a structure destroyed by Hurricane Erick near Juchitan, Guerrero state, Mexico. FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP via Getty Images Down the coast in the fishing village of Barra Vieja, the wind-whipped surf battered the shore and heavy rain kept residents sheltered indoors. Perla Rosas, however, was among the few who ventured out, umbrella in hand, to get to her job at a convenience store. "I feel more relaxed now, so I decided to come to work." Erick is the first major hurricane of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season, which runs from May 15 to Nov. 30. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. contributed to this report.
CNN
2 hours ago
- Climate
- CNN
Video: Erick makes landfall as Category 3 hurricane in Mexico
Hurricane Erick slammed into Mexico's Oaxaca state as a dangerous Category 3 storm Thursday morning, unleashing powerful winds along the coast and spreading heavy rain over the region.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
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 is deteriorating quickly as it tracks through Mexico's steep mountains and 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. Heavy rain and wind was impacting the coasts of Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday morning, adding damage reports are still pending. She urged residents to remain at home and follow authorities' instructions. On Wednesday night, Sheinbaum said all activities in the region in Erick's path were suspended, 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 is not facing 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.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Child drowns in swollen river as Hurricane Erick makes landfall in southern Mexico
A one-year-old boy died and thousands of people were left without power after Hurricane Erick made landfall on Mexico 's southern Pacific coast early on Thursday, bringing destructive winds, torrential rain and a powerful storm surge. Authorities said the child slipped from his mother's arms and drowned in a swollen river in the municipality of San Marcos, Guerrero. The storm, which rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane before weakening slightly to Category 3 at landfall, struck between the resort cities of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido. It was the first hurricane to hit the country this season, which runs from May to November. The US National Hurricane Center said Erick was expected to bring 'potentially destructive winds and life-threatening flash flooding ' across southern Mexico. The hurricane made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 205kmph, according to Mexico's national water commission, Conagua, with gusts reaching 250kmph. By Thursday afternoon, Erick had weakened to a tropical depression but continued to dump heavy rain over Guerrero and Oaxaca states. The National Meteorological Service forecast rainfall of up to 41cm in some places and warned of flooding and landslides in mountainous regions. More than 18,000 emergency personnel had been deployed in preparation for the storm and over 500 temporary shelters activated. In Acapulco, officials suspended all public activity and urged residents in flood-prone zones to relocate. 'We ask the people of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas to remain calm, to take refuge in safe places. The people have reacted very well so far,' president Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message. Acapulco, still recovering from the devastating impact of Hurricane Otis in October 2023, saw huge waves crash over the esplanade in Puerto Escondido and flood parts of the beach town's waterfront restaurants. 'We are all afraid because we think the same thing could happen,' shipping company employee Verónica Gómez, 40, said. 'Now it's not going to catch us by surprise,' she added, holding a bag of canned food and water. The port of Acapulco was closed Tuesday night ahead of the storm. Guerrero governor Evelyn Salgado announced that all movement in the region was suspended from 8pm and schools would remain closed on Thursday. Conagua warned that rainfall could trigger 'landslides and flooding in rivers and streams, as well as waves of six metres in height'. As of Thursday evening, cleanup was underway. Navy personnel were deployed to clear blocked roads and restore services. Power outages were reported in multiple areas but there were no other confirmed fatalities yet. The US National Hurricane Center noted that Erick's rapid intensification was part of a broader trend. In 2023, there were 34 such incidents, nearly double the long-term average. Erick is expected to fully dissipate over Mexico's mountainous interior by Friday. However, weather forecasters say heavy rain will continue to pose risks over the next 24 hours.
