June 20, 2025:
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Authorities in southern Mexico were still assessing damage and watching rising rivers as rain from the remnants of Hurricane Erick doused the region.
Torrential rains over steep coastal mountains and the landslides and flooding they could generate became ongoing concern for officials after Erick dissipated following a landfall early Thursday (June 19, 2025) on a sparsely populated stretch of coast.
At least one death was confirmed late Thursday, a 1-year-old boy who drowned in a swollen river.
Erick came ashore down southern Mexico’s Pacific coast in the morning as a Category 3 major hurricane, but it landed between the resort cities of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido.
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.
With a steady rain falling on Acapulco, residents and remaining tourists emerged to walk outside or visit businesses opening gradually as the remnants of Hurricane Erick scraped by just inland of the resort.
In Puerto Escondido, fishermen searched for and inspected storm-tossed boats and residents cleared downed trees and other debris.
The threat of heavy rain remained in the mountains that rise abruptly behind Acapulco’s famed beaches. Erick spent the day dragging through the coastal mountain range, dropping torrential quantities of rain.
It was expected to dissipate Thursday night over the mountains in Michoacan state.
Erick once had Category 4 strength
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Erick was centered about 155 kilometers (95 miles) north-northwest of Acapulco Thursday night. Its maximum sustained winds were 45 kph (30 mph), degrading it to a low pressure area. It was moving northwest at 20 kph (13 mph).
Erick had strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it approached the coast but weakened before making landfall to a Category 3.
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 hurricane center.
One death reported
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday “the people have reacted very well so far.”
But authorities warned the heavy rain would now become the problem.
Forecasters expected up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) of rain could fall across Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states. The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.
Late Thursday, Guerrero state Civil Defense Director Roberto Arroyo said that a 1-year-old boy had died in San Marcos, an inland community southeast of Acapulco in the path of Erick. The child’s mother had tried to cross a swollen river while carrying the child, but he slipped from her arms and drowned.
Residents venture out
Restaurants, shops and supermarkets gradually reopened in Acapulco, but schools were to remain 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.
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.”
Acapulco still scarred by Otis
Acapulco residents had braced for Erick’s arrival with more preparation and trepidation because of the memory of the devastation two years earlier.
The city of nearly 1 million was hit in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared. At least 52 people died in Otis and the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort’s hotels.
June 19, 2025:
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Erick has made landfall in the western part of Oaxaca state in Mexico. Earlier, forecasters upgraded Erick to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane before lowering it to a Category 3. Early Thursday (June 19, 2025), the hurricane’s center was located about 20 miles east of Punta Maldonado. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 125 mph (205 kph). It was moving northwest at 9 mph.
June 18, 2025:
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Erick rapidly strengthened Wednesday afternoon (June 18, 2025) into a potent Category 2 storm as it churned toward Mexico’s southern coast amid warnings it was likely to become a dangerous major hurricane that would threaten the region with damaging winds, life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds had risen by early afternoon to 110 mph (175 kph) as the intensifying storm headed toward an expected landfall sometime Thursday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Erick was centered about 85 miles (135 kilometers) south of Puerto Ángel, the latest advisory said.
The storm’s projected path would take its center near the resort of Acapulco, which was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared. At least 52 people died in Otis and 32 were missing, after the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort’s hotels.
In Acapulco Wednesday, there was a strong presence of National Guard and police in the streets, but most visible were trucks from the national power company. Crews worked to clear drainage canals and brush.
Some beaches were already closed, but tourists continued to sunbathe on others.
On a beach in Acapulco, a line of people waited for the help of a backhoe to pull their boats out of the water.
Adrián Acevedo Durantes, 52, hauls tourists around Acapulco’s picturesque coastline in boats. Two of his boats sank in Hurricane Otis and a third was badly damaged.
“We’re taking precautions because with Otis we never expected one of that magnitude to come and now with climate change the water is warmer and the hurricanes are more powerful,” Acevedo said.
This time the port administration ordered that no one ride out the storm aboard their boats. During Otis many lost their lives by staying on boats in the harbor, which had traditionally been how they ensured their safety during previous storms. He said knew some of those lost at sea.
He acknowledged that it was sunny and the water calm Wednesday afternoon, making it hard to imagine a major storm was on the way, but said “with Otis it was calm all day, sunny, then at midnight there were two hours of strong winds and we saw what had happened the next day.”
Francisco Casarubio, a 46-year-old choreographer, carried a carton of eggs as he did some last-minute shopping ahead of the storm. He planned to pick up rice, beans and some canned food as well.
His home flooded and lost power in Otis and said he was taking Erick more seriously, but hadn’t had time to shop until Wednesday.
Forecasters said Erick was expected 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.
Erick was forecast to reach major hurricane strength late Wednesday near the coast and is then expected to move inland. A major hurricane is defined as Category 3 or higher and wind speeds of at least 111 mph (180 kph).
A hurricane warning was in effect from Acapulco to Puerto Ángel. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected in the area, and preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion, according to the hurricane center advisory.
Down the coast in Puerto Escondido near the southern edge of Erick’s possible path, some fishermen began pulling their boats out of the water under a drizzling sky Wednesday.
Even though the wind had yet to pick up at the Zicatela beach, red flags were up to warn people to stay out of the water. But some surfers ignored them as they continued to ride waves.
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, and there are numerous rivers that could jump their banks.
Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado said all schools were closed Wednesday and the state had alerted all of the fishing and tourism operators of the risk of the coming storm and recommended they prepare their boats. Acapulco’s port closed Tuesday evening. She said 582 shelters were prepared to receive people who might evacuate their homes.
President Claudia Sheinbaum during her daily news briefing warned residents in the hurricane’s path to heed government instructions and wait out the storm in their homes or government shelters.
June 17, 2025:
MIAMI (AP) — The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Erick has formed near southern Mexico. The center said early Tuesday (June 17, 2025) the storm is expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday. The storm was about 450 miles southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour. A hurricane watch has been posted for a stretch of the Pacific coast from Bahia De Huatulco in Oaxaca state to Punta Maldonado. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions with winds exceeding 74 mph are possible in the area within two days.
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