MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Erick made landfall along Mexico’s southern Pacific coast as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph, authorities said.
The storm had strengthened to a Category 4 early on the morning of June 19, but weakened ahead of landfall, though it was still expected to bring intense rain and cause potentially life-threatening landslides.
A hurricane warning was in effect between the tourist enclaves of Acapulco and Puerto Angel.
Scientists have warned that Erick could become the most intense hurricane along Mexico’s Pacific coast this early in the season.
Up to 16 inches of rain is expected to hit the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, according to the hurricane center.
