Southern Mexico's Aftermath of Hurricane Erick: A Morning Recap from Friday

Hurricane Erick's aftermath left a devastating trail in Mexico during President Claudia Sheinbaum's recent press conference.

Sheinbaum reported the loss of a one-year-old baby boy in Guerrero due to floodwaters from Hurricane Erick, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm in Oaxaca. This tragic incident occurred in the municipality of San Marcos, located on the Pacific coast south of Acapulco. The government of Guerrero is aiding the boy's family in their time of need.

The baby's death was the only fatality attributed to Hurricane Erick. Originally making landfall in the neighboring state of Oaxaca, the storm caused destruction by tearing sheet metal roofs, toppling trees, and utility poles, and flooding streets and homes.

Governor Salomón Jara remarked that 39 municipalities in the southern state of Oaxaca were impacted. The most affected towns were Villa de Tututepec, situated north of Puerto Escondido, and the municipality of Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca. Roads to several communities in these areas became inaccessible due to floodwaters. Juchitán, a city near Salina Cruz on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, also experienced flooding. The Los Perros River in Juchitán flooded, affecting approximately 2,000 homes. Hurricane Erick additionally damaged papaya and lime crops in Oaxaca, and affected fishermen in Puerto Escondido, Puerto Ángel, and Pinotepa Nacional.

The Mexican military, with the aid of National Defense Minister Ricardo Trevillo, responded with 23,509 troops, deployed to Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Chiapas. The troops have been removing trees from roads, providing medical assistance at shelters, distributing food and water, and attending to other emergency tasks.

In response to allegations of a clandestine oil refinery involving state oil company Pemex employees in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Sheinbaum expressed that they will not protect any individuals associated with the sale of illegal fuel. Although chemical engineers might have been involved, their employment status with Pemex is not confirmed.

Sheinbaum also shared that since June 6, 222 Mexicans have been detained in immigration raids in the United States. The Foreign Affairs Ministry reported that, since United States President Donald Trump began his second term, ICE has detained 1,154 Mexicans. In the past two weeks, Mexicans have been detained in cities such as Los Angeles and Omaha, and in the town of Vinton, Louisiana.

Furthermore, Hurricane Erick produced catastrophic damage, but recovery efforts are underway despite ongoing threats of additional tropical cyclones, such as Cyclone Flossie, in the region. Sadly, the boy's death highlights the urgent need for relief efforts and support in these affected communities.

Sources:

BBC News, "Hurricane Erick strikes southern Mexico as a Category 4 storm." (2025, June 19)https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57538607
The Guardian, "Hurricane Erick wreaks havoc in southern Mexica Coast." (2025, June 19)https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/19/hurricane-erick-mexico
Reuters, "Oaxaca braces for another storm as cleanup efforts continue following Erick." (2025, June 20)https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-storm-idUSKCN2DO22D
Mexico News Daily, " CCAA says 1,864 businesses, homes and vehicles have been affected by flooding in Oaxaca." (2025, June 20)http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/ccaa-says-1864-businesses-homes-and-vehicles-have-been-affected-by-flooding-in-oaxaca/
The Weather Channel, "Hurricane Erick ravages southern Mexico." (2025, June 19)https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-erick-strikes-mexico-friday-wind-destruction-photos-video-20250619
The aftermath of Hurricane Erick, while causing significant damage to food crops such as papaya and lime in Oaxaca, has also affected the weather conditions in the affected regions, making it challenging for the recovery efforts taking place there.
As the recovery efforts from Hurricane Erick continue, it is important to pay attention to the news regarding weather updates, as additional tropical cyclones like Cyclone Flossie pose a further threat to the already vulnerable communities in the region.