Hurricane nearing Mexico 'extremely dangerous' - US forecasters

Southern Mexico’s Pacific coast was braced for a Thursday morning impact with the approach of Hurricane Erick, which was upgraded to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 early Thursday (local time), the US National Hurricane Centre said.

The major storm threatens to unleash destructive winds near where the eye crashes ashore, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters said.

The Miami-based centre reported Erick was about 110km west-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, and about 145km southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 230km/h and was moving northwest at 15km/h.

A hurricane is defined as Category 4 when wind speeds reach 209-251km/h.

Late Wednesday, Erick's projected path crept south, closer to the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state, and centred on a sparsely populated stretch of coastline between the Oaxacan resort and Acapulco to the northwest.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Wednesday night that all activities in the region were suspended and she urged people to stay in their homes or to move to shelters if they lived in low-lying areas.

Waves were crashing onto the esplanade in Puerto Escondido by nightfall, swamping wooden fishing boats that had been pulled up there for safety. The beach disappeared under pounding waves and the rising tide had already reached the interiors of some waterfront restaurants.

Last-minute purchases ended at nightfall as stores closed and the streets emptied.

Earlier in the day, fishermen in Puerto Escondido pulled their boats out of the water ahead of the storm's arrival. Some surfers continued to ride waves at the Zicatela beach, even with red flags up to warn people to stay out of the water.

The storm's course shift could be welcome relief for residents of storm-battered Acapulco.

The city of nearly 1 million 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 the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort’s hotels.

Acapulco residents said they were bracing for Erick’s arrival with more preparation and trepidation because of the memory of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Otis two years earlier.

Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado said via X that all movement in Acapulco and other beach communities was to be suspended at 8pm Schools across the state were to remain closed for a second day Thursday (local time).

Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant at the edge of an Acapulco beach when Otis slammed the resort with devastating winds. On Wednesday, he directed workers storing tables and chairs.

“Authorities’ warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we’ve already been through,” Ozuna Romero said in reference to Otis.

Elsewhere, workers nailed sheets of plywood over shop windows and stacked sandbags outside doorways. Cars lined up to fill their tanks and shoppers made last-minute purchases before rushing home.

Verónica Gómez struggled through the streets of Acapulco with a large jug of water. “We’re all afraid because we think the same thing could happen,” said the 40-year-old employee of a shipping company.

But she said she and others learned a lot from Otis. “Now it’s not going to catch us by surprise," she said, holding out a bag of canned food as evidence.

In Acapulco on 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.

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 400mm 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.

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 centre advisory.

Laura Velázquez, Mexico’s national civil defence 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 with numerous rivers at risk of flooding.

Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado said all schools would remain closed and the state had alerted all of the fishing and tourism operators to make their boats storm-ready. Acapulco’s port closed Tuesday evening. Salgado said 582 shelters were set to receive people who might evacuate their homes.

Sheinbaum warned in her daily briefing that those in the hurricane’s path should heed government instructions and wait out the storm in their homes or designated shelters.

Having doubled in strength in less than a day, Erick was churning through an ideal environment for quick intensification. Last year, there were 34 incidents of rapid intensification — when a storm gains at least 55km/h in 24 hours — which is about twice as many as average and causes problems with forecasting, according to the hurricane centre.