Hurricane Erick Pounds Mexican Coast with Fierce Winds and Flood Threat

Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified to a Category 4 before easing slightly to Cat 3 as it made landfall in western Oaxaca near Punta Maldonado on June 19, 2025. With sustained winds of 125 mph and forecast rainfall up to 16 inches across Oaxaca and Guerrero, the storm threatens widespread wind damage, flash flooding and dangerous storm surge along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Emergency crews have cleared drains and ordered beaches and ports closed, recalling the devastation wrought by Hurricane Otis in Acapulco in October 2023.

Local authorities have mobilized 582 shelters and deployed National Guard forces to assist in evacuations and infrastructure protection. Power company crews patrol damaged drainage canals, while fishing and tourism operators haul boats ashore to avoid repeat losses. The mountainous terrain amplifies mudslide risk, particularly where rivers are swollen by torrential downpours. Adjusters should anticipate a surge in claims related to water intrusion, structural wind damage, erosion control and road closures.

In Acapulco and Puerto Escondido, residents recalled Otis’s sudden overnight intensification, stressing that sunny midday conditions can belie imminent storm impacts. Preparations included boarding windows, securing loose objects and stockpiling essentials. Risk managers and insurers will need to coordinate with local emergency planners to verify building integrity, assess post-storm accessibility and uphold policy provisions for catastrophe response. Technology such as remote damage assessment drones and GIS flood modeling may expedite claims triage.

As Erick moves inland, attention will shift to secondary perils—mudslides on steep slopes and riverine flooding in Guerrero and Chiapas. Property adjusters should ready swift mobilization of ground teams and claims support for displaced families, while underwriters may revisit coverage terms for windstorm deductibles and storm-surge exposure. Close collaboration with Mexican authorities and alignment on evacuation timelines will be critical to ensure both public safety and efficient claims processing in the storm’s aftermath.