Hurricane Erick threatens Mexico’s Pacific Coast, rapid strengthening expected
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A fluttering red flag warning beachgoers of dangerous conditions as Tropical Storm Erick strengthens off Mexico's Pacific Coast, in Mexico's Chiapas state on June 17.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MEXICO CITY - Erick strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane off Mexico’s Pacific Coast and may intensify into a major hurricane prior to its landfall, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said on June 18.
Erick is expected to be the first hurricane to make landfall in Mexico this season, and would bring “life-threatening flash floods to portions of southern Mexico later tonight and Thursday”, the NHC said in a report.
“Rapid strengthening is expected today, and Erick may reach major hurricane strength when it approaches the coast of southern Mexico on June 19,” the centre warned.
With maximum sustained winds of 120kmh, Erick is moving north-west at near 11kmh.
“Erick could develop into a Category 2 hurricane in the first minutes of Thursday, and it could make landfall between Oaxaca and Guerrero during the day,” the head of Mexico’s civil protection agency, Ms Laura Velazquez, told a presidential press conference.
Both states have begun emergency planning, taken preventive actions with the local authorities and activated more than 500 temporary shelters, she added.
The Mexican authorities will also provide care and evacuation for tourists in the area, which has popular beaches and resort towns such as Acapulco.
During her morning press conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents to stay indoors and move to shelters if they are in flood-prone areas.
Mexico’s national water commission Conagua said in a statement that rainfall in Oaxaca and Guerrero could lead to landslides and flooding. REUTERS
