Mexico assesses damage from Hurricane Erick as rising rivers leave at least 1 dead

ACAPULCO Mexico AP Agents in southern Mexico were still assessing damage and watching rising rivers as rain from the remnants of Hurricane Erick doused the region Torrential rains over steep coastal mountains and the landslides and flooding they could generate became ongoing concern for leaders after Erick dissipated following a landfall early Thursday on a sparsely populated stretch of coast At least one death was substantiated late Thursday a -year-old boy who drowned in a swollen river Erick came ashore down southern Mexico s Pacific coast in the morning as a Category major hurricane but it landed between the resort cities of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido Officials disclosed landslides blocked highways downed power lines and certain flooding as coastal residents above all in Acapulco took the storm seriously with memories of the devastating Hurricane Otis in still fresh in their minds With a steady rain falling on Acapulco residents and remaining tourists emerged to walk outside or visit businesses opening gradually as the remnants of Hurricane Erick scraped by just inland of the resort In Puerto Escondido fishermen searched for and inspected storm-tossed boats and residents cleared downed trees and other debris The threat of heavy rain remained in the mountains that rise abruptly behind Acapulco s famed beaches Erick spent the day dragging through the coastal mountain range dropping torrential quantities of rain It was expected to dissipate Thursday night over the mountains in Michoacan state Erick once had Category strength The U S National Hurricane Center in Miami reported Erick was centered about kilometers miles north-northwest of Acapulco Thursday night Its maximum sustained winds were kph mph degrading it to a low pressure area It was moving northwest at kph mph Erick had strengthened to a Category storm as it approached the coast but weakened before making landfall to a Category Having doubled in strength in less than a day Erick churned through an ideal habitat for quick intensification Last year there were incidents of rapid intensification when a storm gains at least kph mph in hours which is about twice the average and causes problems with forecasting according to the hurricane center One death published President Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned Thursday the people have reacted very well so far But administration warned the heavy rain would now become the dilemma Forecasters expected up to centimeters inches of rain could fall across Oaxaca and Guerrero with lesser totals in Chiapas Michoacan Colima and Jalisco states The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides especially in areas with steep terrain Late Thursday Guerrero state Civil Defense Director Roberto Arroyo mentioned that a -year-old boy had died in San Marcos an inland locality southeast of Acapulco in the path of Erick The child s mother had tried to cross a swollen river while carrying the child but he slipped from her arms and drowned Residents venture out Restaurants shops and supermarkets gradually reopened in Acapulco but schools were to remain closed across Guerrero on Friday as bureaucrats continued to assess damage clear debris and monitor rising rivers Several of us were frightened but now it has passed commented Juan Carlos Casta eda a -year-old assurance guard at an Acapulco condominium complex He mentioned the tragedy of Otis marked all of us Despite the rain Casta eda decided to go out for a walk Down the coast in the fishing village of Barra Vieja the wind-whipped surf battered the shore and heavy rain kept residents sheltered indoors Perla Rosas however was among the minimal who ventured out umbrella in hand to get to her job at a convenience store I feel more relaxed now so I decided to come to work Acapulco still scarred by Otis Acapulco residents had braced for Erick s arrival with more preparation and trepidation because of the memory of the devastation two years earlier The city of nearly million was hit in October by Hurricane Otis a Category hurricane that rapidly intensified and caught plenty of unprepared At least people died in Otis and the storm severely damaged almost all of the resort s hotels