Hurricane Erick had strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it approached the coast but weakened to a Category 2 storm before making landfall on Thursday.

Forecasters had expected up to 40 centimeters (16 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.

Hurricane Erick made landfall on the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, authorities said, potentially bringing intense rains and life-threatening floods and mudslides. The storm made landfall around 5:30 a.