Dramatic coastal scene in Oaxaca, Mexico during a powerful Category 3 hurricane: towering dark storm clouds, sheets of rain, and roaring waves crashing over a flooded seaside street. Submerged shops with shuttered fronts, downed power lines, and a damaged hospital facade in the midground. Military trucks and uniformed personnel assisting residents near open shelters with cots and supplies. Palm trees bent in fierce winds, foam and debris swirling in muddy water, distant hills shrouded in mist. Moody, overcast lighting, high contrast, cinematic realism, wide-angle composition capturing both city and coastline.
Summary
Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified before making landfall in Oaxaca as a Category 3 storm, knocking out power and communications, flooding streets and shops, damaging hospitals, and generating dangerous storm surge and large waves—especially around Puerto Escondido and near Acapulco. Authorities deployed troops for cleanup and opened shelters as Erick weakened to a tropical storm and is expected to dissipate over Mexico’s mountainous terrain. The system brought 8–16 inches (up to 400 mm) of rain to Oaxaca and Guerrero, with life-threatening flooding and mudslide risks, while regional outlooks signal continued eastern Pacific activity even as the Atlantic remains relatively quiet for now.
Key Points
- Erick hit Oaxaca as a Category 3 after rapid intensification to Category 4.
- Widespread outages, flooding, and hospital damage reported; no deaths confirmed.
- Heavy rain of 8–16 inches and large waves posed severe flood and landslide risks.
- Troops deployed, shelters opened, and tropical storm warnings remained in effect.
- Eastern Pacific likely to stay active despite a quiet Atlantic start.