A major hurricane is approaching the coast of Mexico and risks hitting the shore this night / Authorities evacuate the tourist resorts
The boats tightened on the beach in Manzanillo, while others are removed from the water before the arrival of Hurricane Erick. Photo: Fernando Llano / AP / Profimedia
The authorities in Mexico and the United States warn that a hurricane off the Pacific coast intensify rapidly and could hit the south of Mexico. Erick is expected to reach category 3, thus being classified as “major hurricane”, according to Reuters.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, Erick could be the first hurricane to hit Mexico this season and risk provoking “lightning floods that endanger life in the southern Mexico areas, from this night until Thursday.”
“A quick intensification is expected today, and Erick could reach the force of a major hurricane near the southern coast of Mexico,” the National Hurricane Center in the US.
With maximum bursts of 140 km/h, Erick is about 255 kilometers from Puerto Angel tourist resort, where a hurricane alert is in force.
The weather conditions are favorable to the intensification of the storm, and the Mexico Civil Protection Agency said that the hurricane could reach category 3 before reaching the land.
The head of the agency, Laura Velázquez, said in a press conference with the president that the hurricane could hit the shore on Thursday, between Oaxaca and Guerrero.
Both states have already started emergency plans and have taken preventive measures with local authorities. Over 18,000 members of the intervention teams were mobilized, and over 500 temporary shelters were activated, the authorities announced.
Mexico also coordinates the evacuation and support for tourists from popular destinations on the coast, including Acapulco.
Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum urged the population to stay in homes and take refuge in shelters if they are in areas at risk.
The National Water Commission, condemned, warned that rains in the coastal areas could cause land and flood slip, with waves that can reach up to six meters high.
