Overview

• Erick struck western Oaxaca near Punta Maldonado early Thursday with sustained winds of 125 mph and a dangerous storm surge.
• The hurricane rapidly weakened to a tropical storm as it moved inland and is expected to dissipate by Friday.
• Authorities evacuated residents to more than 2 000 shelters across Oaxaca, Guerrero and Chiapas and suspended public activities in vulnerable zones.
• Heavy rainfall has triggered life-threatening flooding and mudslides and knocked out power for over 123 000 users in Oaxaca.
• Erick is the earliest major hurricane on record to hit Mexico’s Pacific coast before July, highlighting the growing frequency of rapid storm intensification in a warming climate.