Southern Mexico is reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Erick, which made landfall along the Pacific coast as a ferocious Category 3 storm. Although the storm was downgraded to a Category 1 shortly after hitting, its legacy continues to leave a mark, especially in the tourist town of Puerto Escondido. The region has been plunged into darkness, with power outages affecting over 120,000 users and severe damage to infrastructure, including two hospitals and numerous flooded streets.
As hundreds of military personnel join the clean-up efforts, local businesses are confronting the extensive destruction. Merchant Luis Alberto Gil described the rising waters as unprecedented in severity, highlighting the emotional and economic toll on his community. Fortunately, officials have reported no casualties, though concerns remain regarding hazardous conditions, such as flooding and hurricane-force winds, as Erick's remnants move northward.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warns of possible life-threatening storm surges and hazardous waves reaching up to 10 meters. Precautionary measures are still in effect in Oaxaca and nearby Guerrero, where alerts remain for potential mudslides due to the heavy rains.
Residents were advised to take shelter, with around 2,000 emergency shelters prepared in anticipation of the storm's impact. This comes on the heels of Hurricane Otis in 2023, which left a devastating toll of at least 50 lives lost in Acapulco, a poignant reminder of the increasing intensity and unpredictability of hurricanes in the region.
As recovery efforts progress, local and federal authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, with hopes of restoring normalcy for affected communities in southern Mexico.
