Hurricane Erick is strengthening quickly off Mexico’s Pacific coast and will likely be a strong Category 3 storm when it makes landfall, officials said. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a warning on Wednesday that the storm potentially could deliver “life-threatening flash floods” to southern Mexico tonight through Thursday.
With maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), Erick was about 160 miles (255 kilometers) off the Pacific coast resort town of Puerto Angel, where a hurricane warning has been declared. It is anticipated that benign atmospheric conditions will continue to fuel further intensification leading to landfall.
Mexico’s head of civil protection, Laura Velazquez, said at a press conference that Erick could land between Oaxaca and Guerrero states on Thursday. The NHC further stated that rainfall might reach as much as 20 inches (50 cm) in places, posing a higher risk of flooding and landslides.
Emergency preparations are in progress. Governments have opened more than 500 temporary shelters and dispatched over 18,000 first responders. Local governments are cooperating with federal agencies to support tourists and locals, particularly in coastal cities like Acapulco.
Mexico’s water agency, Conagua, has warned of waves reaching up to six meters high and asked residents living along the coast to be extremely cautious. President Claudia Sheinbaum has called on citizens living in danger zones to go indoors instantly and refrain from unnecessary travel.
Tourist destinations are also instituting evacuation procedures and care strategies to prepare for the protection of tourists. With Erick threatening to be the first major storm of the Pacific hurricane season to strike Mexico, authorities point out that precautions taken in a timely manner will save lives as the intense system moves closer to shore.
