Hurricane Erick hit the coast of southern Mexico on Thursday morning. Erick started to weaken after it moved inland near the border between Oaxaca and Guerrero. At 2:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Hurricane Erick was located at latitude 17.1°N and longitude 99.0°W which put the center about 60 miles (95 km) east-northeast of Acapulco, Mexico. Erick was moving toward the northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 988 mb.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the portion of the coast from Puerto Escondido to Acapulco, Mexico.
A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Acapulco to Tecpan de Galeana, Mexico.
Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale before it made landfall on the coast of Mexico. The maximum sustained wind speed at the time of landfall was 140 m.p.h. (225 km/h).
Hurricane force winds extended out 15 miles (25 km) from the center of Erick’s circulation at the time of landfall. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (145 km) from the center of Hurricane Erick.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Erick at the time of landfall was 28.2. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 8.1 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 36.3. Hurricane Erick was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Charley when Charley hit southwest Florida in 2004.
The center of Hurricane Erick made landfall near Punta Maldonado. Erick will continue to move northwest over Guerrero. Hurricane Erick will weaken quickly when it moves over the Sierra Madres del Sur. Erick will continue to drop heavy rain over parts of Oaxaca and Guerrero as it weakens. Heavy rain could cause flash floods in some locations.
