Hurricane Erick strengthens to Category 4, threatens Mexico with deadly floods

Hurricane Erick, the fifth named storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season, is moving dangerously close to the southern coast of Mexico. As of early Thursday morning (ET), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) classified Erick as an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 mph and higher gusts. According to CBS, in its latest bulletin at 4 am ET, the NHC warned that Erick’s core is expected to move onshore shortly, bringing “extremely destructive winds” and intense rainfall that could lead to “life-threatening flooding and mudslides.”

A red flag flutters in the wind, warning beachgoers of dangerous conditions as Hurricane Erick strengthens off Mexico's Pacific Coast, in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca state, Mexico, June 18, 2025. (REUTERS)

The storm’s hurricane-force winds are currently extending up to 25 miles from its center, while tropical-storm-force winds reach 90 miles out. The Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero are likely to experience the brunt of Erick’s impact, with landfall forecast “in the western portion of Oaxaca or eastern Guerrero.”