Hurricane Erick Live Tracker Maps
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Hurricane Erick made landfall in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said, and it was downgraded slightly from a powerful Category 4 to a Category 3—though still a major hurricane.
The hurricane's center was located about 20 miles (30 kilometers) east of Punta Maldonado. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 125 mph (205 kph). It was moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph), the hurricane center said.
Erick is expected to rapidly weaken as it crashes into the coastal mountains of southern Mexico, and the system is likely to dissipate late Thursday or early Friday, the hurricane center said.
The storm threatened to unleash destructive winds near where the eye crashes ashore, flash floods, and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters said.
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 35 mph in 24 hours—which is about twice as many as average and causes problems with forecasting, according to the hurricane center.
Hurricane Erick Live Weather Radar
At first light Thursday, Acapulco awoke under ominous dark clouds, but without a drop of rain and small waves lapping at its central beach.
However, the storm was forecast to move northwest just inland up the coast through midday, bringing heavy rain to the resort and the mountains that tower dramatically above it.
Still, it appeared Acapulco had dodged the worst at least in terms of Erick's strong winds.
Late Wednesday, Erick's projected path had crept south, closer to the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state, with Acapulco up the coast to the northwest.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Wednesday night that all activities in the region were suspended and she urged people to stay in their homes or to move to shelters if they lived in low-lying areas.
Hurricane Erick Wind Tracker
Forecasters expected Erick to lash Mexico's Pacific coast with heavy rain, strong winds and a fierce storm surge.
Rains of up to 16 inches (40 centimeters) could fall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states, the center's advisory said.
The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.
Laura Velázquez, 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 especially prone to mudslides, with numerous rivers at risk of flooding.
Hurricane Erick Rain, Thunderstorms Map
This article uses reporting by The Associated Press.
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Yahoo
21 hours ago
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The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Ninety-seven percent of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time period, NOAA said. The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories. The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center. Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include: Tropical cyclone is the generic term used by the National Weather Service, NOAA and the National Hurricane Center for any tropical system, even if it's in the tropical Atlantic basin. To be more precise, a tropical cyclone is a "rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation," NOAA sadi. Once maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, what it is called is determined by where it originated: : for storms in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific. : for storms in the Northwest Pacific. : for storms in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. We will update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here. This story was updated to add a gallery and new information. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: National Hurricane Center monitors multiple systems ahead of possible tropical increase
