MEXICO CITY (AP) — A hurricane warning was issued Tuesday for a portion of southern Mexico as Tropical Storm Erick gained strength in the Pacific Ocean, forecasters said.
The National Hurricane Center said Erick was expected to rapidly intensify and become a hurricane by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The cyclone was centered about 240 miles (385 kilometers) southeast of Puerto Ángel, Mexico, on Tuesday afternoon.
The tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), the Miami-based center said. It was moving west-northwest at 7 mph (11 kph) and forecast to approach the coast by late Wednesday.
The storm's projected path would take its center near the resort of Acapulco, which was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught many unprepared.
At least 52 people died in Otis and 32 were missing, after the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort’s hotels.
Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado said Tuesday that lessons were learned from that storm. She announced the closure of all schools across the state for Wednesday and said 582 shelters were prepared to receive people who might evacuate their homes.
A hurricane warning was in effect from Puerto Ángel to Punta Maldonado in coastal southern Mexico. The hurricane watch stretches west of Punta Maldonado to Acapulco and east of Puerto Ángel to Bahías de Huatulco. A tropical storm warning was posted east of Puerto Ángel to Salina Cruz.
A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected in the area, and preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion, according to the NHC advisory.
Heavy rainfall up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) was forecast for parts of Oaxaca and Guerrero, with as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) set to fall in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states.
The rainfall may produce flooding and mudslides, the center said, and storm surge could produce coastal flooding.
The Associated Press
