Floods expected after Hurricane Erick makes landfall in western Mexico

Puerto Escondido, Mexico: Hurricane Erick made landfall in the western Mexican state of Oaxaca on Thursday, the US National Hurricane Center said, hav...

Puerto Escondido, Mexico: Hurricane Erick made landfall in the western Mexican state of Oaxaca on Thursday, the US National Hurricane Center said, having weakened to a "major" Category 3 storm that is likely to cause massive flooding and landslides.

The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 125 miles (205 kilometers) per hour as it hit just east of Punta Maldonado, the NHC said in a post on social media.

By 1200 GMT, Erick was moving northwest at a speed of nearly nine miles (15 kilometers) per hour, and was expected to continue making its way inland over southern Mexico through the day.

Heavy rainfall was expected to cause "life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain" in Oaxaca and Guerrero states, the NHC said.