Hurricane Erick kills two and devastates Mexican coast before weakening into a low-pressure system.
Oaxaca and Guerrero bear the brunt as homes flood, power cuts spread, and rescue efforts begin.
At least two people lost their lives after Hurricane Erick battered southern Mexico this week, inflicting significant damage on coastal communities before weakening into a low-pressure system by Thursday night, according to official reports.
In Oaxaca, where the storm made landfall, a man was fatally electrocuted while clearing debris near a stream. Authorities said he accidentally came in contact with high-voltage cables. Meanwhile, in the neighboring Guerrero state, a child was swept away and drowned in a swollen stream as his mother tried to carry him across in the town of San Marcos, civil protection officials confirmed.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported in its early Friday update that Erick had been downgraded to a tropical storm by Thursday evening. At that point, it was located approximately 95 miles (155 kilometers) from the port of Acapulco, with sustained winds of 30 mph (50 km/h).
Communities along Oaxaca’s coast were among the hardest hit. In Lagunas de Chacahua, a village of around 2,800 residents, the storm ripped off thatched rooftops and submerged entire streets. “It was very strong, very ugly… the entire town is homeless, without clothes, we have no help,” said 45-year-old housewife Francisca Avila, who lamented the destruction of most of her possessions.
Puerto Escondido, a well-known tourist destination, also suffered severe flooding. Emergency teams and locals scrambled to remove debris and drain flooded roads, while toppled trees, damaged street signs, and sand-covered boats lined the coast. Large sections of the town, which has a population of around 30,000, were left without electricity or cellphone coverage.
“The water had never hit us this hard,” said Luis Alberto Gil, a 44-year-old merchant whose shop was submerged in the flood.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, speaking during her morning briefing, warned that heavy rains would continue across several southern states including Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, and Puebla. She commended residents for heeding official warnings, describing their cooperation as “very responsible.” She also confirmed that 15 road sections remained closed in Oaxaca, and over 123,000 people had been affected by power outages.
Mexico frequently experiences hurricanes and tropical storms between May and November, affecting both its Pacific and Caribbean coasts. The latest disaster has revived memories of Hurricane Otis, a devastating Category 5 storm that struck Acapulco in October 2023, claiming dozens of lives and leaving widespread destruction in its wake.
