After making landfall on the southwestern coast of Mexico on Thursday morning, Hurricane Erick confirmed the death of a baby boy who was only one year old. This is the first death that has been confirmed to be caused by Hurricane Erick.
In a press conference held on Friday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that the youngster had passed away as a result of drowning in a river that had become flooded close to the city of San Marcos.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. Central Standard Time, Hurricane Erick made landfall in the state of Oaxaca, which is located in southern Mexico, close to Santiago Pinotepa Nacional. The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Hurricane Erick was a severe storm with peak winds of 125 miles per hour.
Erick had already ploughed inland by Thursday evening and has now dispersed, but not before wreaking havoc on the region with devastation-causing winds and severe rains.
Mrs. Evelyn Salgado Pineda, the governor of Guerrero state, stated that 28 shelters had been opened for locals, and as of Friday morning, approximately 1,600 individuals had taken advantage of the security and care that was provided at these shelters. Several roads continue to be obstructed as a result of landslides and trees that have fallen, according to Pineda.
The Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico announced on Friday morning that it has restored roughly 70 percent of the power outages that were caused by Hurricane Erick.
Additionally, the commission has dispatched specialised technical professionals to manage power outages throughout the region.
It has been stated by Sheinbaum that she intends to travel to Oaxaca, Acapulco, and other communities that have been impacted by Hurricane Erick.
The monster storm began to swiftly intensify on Wednesday, and it eventually reached Category 4 strength with gusts of 145 miles per hour as it made its way along the coast before making its formal impact on Thursday morning.
Since the beginning of records, Erick made history by becoming the first significant hurricane (Category 3 or higher) to make landfall in Mexico. This covers both the Atlantic and Pacific basins.
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Erick, being a major hurricane, will also set a record for being the strongest June cyclone to make landfall along Mexico’s Pacific coast. This will bring back memories of Hurricane Otis, which occurred in 2023.
With sustained gusts of 165 miles per hour, Hurricane Otis was the most powerful hurricane to ever make landfall in Acapulco. However, due to the unpredictable nature of the cyclone, many people were taken off guard by its ferocity.
In the aftermath of the late-season calamity, Mexican officials estimated that more than fifty people had lost their lives, and damage estimates exceeded ten billion dollars.
