Hurricane Erick, swiftly strengthening, slams ashore in Oaxaca as a Class 3 tempest
Hurricane Erick Makes Historic Landfall in Oaxaca
Get ready for a wild ride! Hurricane Erick touched down in Oaxaca, Mexico, yesterday as a Category 3 storm, smashing records and causing chaos. This early-season hurricane was the first of its kind to hit Mexico since tracking began, and it's not holding back.
Before making landfall, this monster storm grew into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 with winds of 140 mph, according to CBS News. The storm, which was the fifth named of the 2025 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, notched up a host of records.
Usually, the Eastern Pacific hurricane season kicks off on May 15 and wraps up on Nov. 30. But Erick didn't care about date and time. It started earlier than any other storm, and as the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) revealed, it was the earliest major hurricane to strike Mexico on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
Erick decided to party in Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, about 250 kilometers southeast of Acapulco, at around 5:30 a.m. The storm quickly got a little less rowdy, though, and was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane shortly after 9 a.m., with winds clocking in at 85 mph and hurricane-force winds reaching up to 15 miles from its center. Tropical storm-force winds spanned up to 90 miles, following Erick's continued trek inland.
The force of Erick has left behind some serious damage. El Universal reported that Puerto Escondido's boats and main dock took a beating, and the Oaxaca city-Puerto Escondido highway, which opened in February 2024, was closed due to mudslides.
The NHC issued a stern warning—life-threatening flooding and mudslides are likely, especially in hilly areas. Category 3 hurricanes, with winds this strong, can cause a whole lot of devastation, lead to power outages lasting days to weeks, and send shivers down your spine.
Storm surges and inland flooding have historically been the leading causes of harm during hurricanes. Hurricanes can also unleash strong winds, tornadoes, rough surf, and hazardous rip currents, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Though Erick is expected to dissipate by Thursday night, it will still pump out hefty rainfall. As of 9 a.m., there were reports of around 10 inches of rain in the mountains west of Oaxaca City, and more rain was on the way. Erick is predicted to deliver between 8 to 12 inches of rain, with max totals of 16 inches, across Oaxaca and Guerrero. Coastal flooding was expected, too, thanks to storm surges and huge, destructive waves in areas with onshore winds.
Erick's winds are forecast to drop in the Hurricane Warning areas by mid-afternoon. The warning area from Acapulco east to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, remains under a Hurricane Warning, while the west of Acapulco to Tecpan de Galeana, Guerrero, is under a Tropical Storm Warning.
Bottom line, prepare yourself for some extreme weather, folks. Stay safe out there!
- In light of the historic landfall of Hurricane Erick, it might be a good idea for educational institutions in the affected regions to prepare contingency plans for distance learning due to potential power outages and school closures.
- The earlier-than-expected onset of the hurricane season and the unprecedented strength of Hurricane Erick underscore the importance of ongoing environmental-science research to better understand the impact of extreme weather events and aid in predicting future occurrences.
- As Hurricane Erick moves towards northward, local weather forecasters should keep a close eye on the potential impacts on cities like Acapulco and Mexico City, focusing particularly on heavy rainfall and the likelihood of flooding.
- Science and technology experts should focus on developing solutions to mitigate the environmental consequences of Hurricane Erick, such as preventing mudslides, restoring damaged infrastructure, and protecting crucial ecosystems from the hazardous effects of oil spills.
