Mexican Authorities Survey Hurricane Erick’s Impact as Flooding Claims Life of One-Year-Old Boy

Mexican authorities were on Friday still assessing damage amid rising rivers as rains left by powerful Hurricane Erick battered the region, The Associated Press reported.

Hurricane Erick, which touched the shore down southern Mexico’s Pacific coast early morning, made landfall between the resort cities of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido as a Category 3 storm after intensifying rapidly and killing at least one person—a one-year-old boy who drowned in a swollen river – late Thursday before dissipating from a sparsely populated stretch of coast, the report said.

Local officials have raised alarm over torrential rains over steep coastal mountains and potential landslides and flooding they could bring in the aftermath of the now-receding storm system.

Widespread destruction, including landslides, faulty power lines, blocked highways, and some flooding, was reported by some coastal residents, for whom Erick’s trail of destruction evoked memories of the devastating Hurricane Otis in 2023, the report said. 

In Puerto Escondido, fishermen assessed storm-damaged boats while residents worked to clear fallen trees and debris left in the wake of the storm.

According to the report, the storm was expected to weaken and dissipate Thursday night over the mountains of Michoacán state.

At its peak, Erick had reached Category 4 hurricane status before weakening to a Category 3 prior to landfall, the report said, citing the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). 

According to the NHC, by Thursday night, Erick was located about 155 kilometers (95 miles) north-northwest of Acapulco, and with maximum sustained winds down to 45 kph (30 mph), the storm had degraded into a low-pressure system, moving northwest at 20 kph (13 mph).

Rapid intensification events, defined as an increase of at least 55 kph (35 mph) in 24 hours, are becoming more frequent, with 34 recorded last year, nearly double the average, the hurricane center said, according to the AP.

Meanwhile, President Claudia Sheinbaum said “the people have reacted very well so far,” even as officials warned that flooding and landslides posed great risk.

Forecasters warned that up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) of rain could fall in Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lesser amounts expected in Chiapas, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco, as reported by The Associated Press.

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