Hurricane Erick made landfall in Oaxaca, Mexico, on Thursday and, according to the National Hurricane Center, has grown to an “extremely dangerous” storm.

With hurricane season just beginning, and cuts to federal weather agencies planned, storms continue to increase in intensity.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted 13-19 named storms this year, with six to 10 expected to become full hurricanes. Hurricane Erick is one of the predicted three to five storms that will grow to Category 3 or stronger.

Erick formed from a weather disturbance south of Mexico and developed into a tropical storm on Tuesday. Soon after, it escalated to a hurricane and was named. Before making landfall, it was a Category 4 storm, but it de-escalated into a Category 3 storm as it hit Oaxaca.

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The hurricane is said to be influenced by warm ocean waters and favorable atmospheric conditions.

Late Wednesday night, Erick’s projected path made its way south, nearing the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca. By early Thursday, the storm escalated, with waves damaging properties.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to stay in their homes or find shelter in a video on Wednesday night. All activities in the area were also suspended.

Erick’s center was located 20 miles east of Punta Maldonado on Thursday, and maximum winds hit 125 miles per hour. The hurricane was moving northwest at 9 miles per hour, according to the hurricane center. The hurricane-force winds extended 25 miles from its center, creating tropical storm-force winds up to 90 miles.

In the first month of the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season, Erick is the first major hurricane to hit land. The eastern season runs from May 15 to Nov. 30, while the Atlantic season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Acapulco to Puerto Ángel, a sparsely populated area on the coastline, and a watch has been issued from west of Acapulco to Tecpán de Galeana.

The area has nearly 1 million people, many agricultural fields, and small fishing villages.

This same area was hit by Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 storm, in October 2023. At least 52 people died from Otis, and it caused severe damage to almost all the area’s hotels.

Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant, which sat on the edge of a beach in Acapulco, during the 2023 storm. He said he feels scared, knowing another big storm is on its way.

“Authorities’ warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we’ve already been through,” Ozuna Romero told PBS.

National Guard and police were already in the streets on Wednesday, and 582 shelters were set up to receive evacuees.

Erick is still expected to cause severe damage despite downgrading from Category 4 to Category 3.

Severe hurricanes above Category 3 can bring high wind strength, cause “devastating damage,” and lead to power outages lasting up to several weeks, according to NOAA’s National Weather Service.

“Water hazards—storm surge and inland flooding—have historically been the leading causes of loss of life during hurricanes,” NOAA warns. “Hurricanes can also bring strong winds, tornadoes, rough surf, and rip currents.”

Erick could bring 16 inches of rain to the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, according to the NHC. This could lead to “life-threatening flooding, and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.”

Other Mexican states — Chiapas, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco — expect to see 2 to 4 inches of rain as well.

“Erick is expected to rapidly weaken over the mountains of Mexico,” the hurricane center said after Erick made landfall in Mexico. “The system is likely to dissipate tonight or early Friday.”

Mexico’s national civil defense coordinator, Laura Velázquez, said Erick is forecasted to bring “torrential” rains to Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas in southern Mexico. Numerous rivers in these areas are at risk of flooding, putting them at high risk for mudslides.

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Hurricane Erick threatens to become one of the “strongest landfalling Pacific Hurricanes in Mexico’s history,” according to Backpirch Weather.

Hurricane Erick doubled in strength in less than a day. Last year, there were 34 incidents of rapid intensification — when a storm gains at least 35 miles per hour within 24 hours — about double the average, which caused problems with forecasting, according to the hurricane center.