Hurricane Erick has claimed at least two lives and left widespread devastation across southern Mexico before weakening into a low-pressure system on Thursday night, authorities confirmed.
The powerful storm battered coastal communities, flooding streets, toppling trees, and leaving tens of thousands without power as it moved inland from the Pacific.
Storm Turns Deadly in Oaxaca and Guerrero
Authorities in Oaxaca state reported the tragic death of a man who was electrocuted while helping clear storm debris after unknowingly handling high-voltage cables near a stream. In neighboring Guerrero state, civil protection officials confirmed the drowning of a child who was swept away by rising floodwaters while his mother tried to carry him across a swollen stream in the town of San Marcos.
Massive Damage to Coastal Towns
Coastal areas bore the brunt of Hurricane Erick’s landfall. In Lagunas de Chacahua, a small fishing community of around 2,800 residents, homes were ripped apart, thatched roofs torn off, and entire streets submerged under water.
“It was terrible, everything we had is gone. The whole town has nothing left, no clothes, no help,” 45-year-old Francisca Avila, a local resident, told newsmen, surveying the wreckage of her home.
In the popular tourist destination of Puerto Escondido, emergency crews and residents worked frantically to clear roads, drain flooded areas, and remove debris. The storm knocked over trees, streetlights, and buried small boats under heaps of sand along the shoreline. Large parts of the town, home to approximately 30,000 people, lost both electricity and cellphone service.
“The water had never hit like this before,” said 44-year-old shopkeeper Luis Alberto Gil, whose business was flooded during the storm.
Government Issues Warnings, Closes Roads
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the nation Thursday morning, confirming that heavy rainfall was still expected in the southern states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, and Puebla. She urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and relocate to shelters where necessary. Over 2,000 shelters had been prepared in the affected regions ahead of the storm.
Sheinbaum also reported 15 road closures in Oaxaca and more than 123,000 people experiencing power outages across the impacted areas. “We appreciate the public’s cooperation in following safety advisories,” she said via social media.
Mexico’s Storm Season Intensifies
Mexico’s Pacific and Caribbean coastlines are routinely battered by hurricanes and tropical storms between May and November. In recent years, severe storms have caused significant loss of life and property damage.
In October 2023, Hurricane Otis struck the major resort city of Acapulco as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, killing dozens and flattening neighborhoods. Just a month earlier, Hurricane John, a Category 3 system, left 15 dead in its wake.
As a precaution, residents in Acapulco about 250 miles north of Erick’s landfall point heeded emergency warnings on Thursday. The city’s streets were largely deserted, with businesses shuttered, boats grounded, and residents stockpiling food, water, and fuel in anticipation.
