PUNTA MALDONADO, Mexico – Hurricane Erick made landfall along the southwestern coast of Mexico early Thursday morning, lashing communities with destructive wind and torrential rain, raising fears of life-threatening flooding and mudslides as terrified residents hunkered down in homes and shelters for safety.Erick has also made history as the earliest major hurricane (Category 3 or greater) landfall in Mexico since records began, and that includes both the Atlantic and Pacific basins.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHERThe National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Erick made landfall in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca near Santiago Pinotepa Nacional around 5:30 a.m. CST as a powerful Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph.Those winds have since dropped to 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.The monster storm started to rapidly intensify Wednesday and eventually reached Category 4 strength with winds of 145 mph as it scraped the coast before making its official landfall Thursday morning.The Mexican government issued Hurricane Warnings from Acapulco to Puerto Escondido, and Tropical Storm Warnings remain in effect west of Acapulco to Tecpan de Galeana.DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX WEATHER APPNow that the hurricane has made landfall, the NHC said it will continue to move inland over Mexico’s mountainous terrain and will continue to rapidly weaken before dissipating Thursday night or early Friday morning.However, local officials and the NHC warned residents to not let their guard down as torrential rain and wind are expected to continue, and that will likely lead to flash flooding and landslides.Dangerous conditions are also likely to persist along the coast where a potentially life-threatening storm surge combined with large, destructive waves pound the region.In addition, deadly rip currents are also likely and people have been warned to stay out of the ocean and off beaches. HOW DO TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES GET THEIR NAMES?Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo took to social media Wednesday night where she announced that all activities had been suspended across the region and urged residents to stay home or move into shelters if living in low-lying areas.At a news conference on Thursday, she thanked the public for heeding that advice and asked that they continue to listen to instructions from local officials.Sheinbaum Pardo also said she had been in contact with the Navy who was in the area and was expecting an update on conditions “in a few hours.”Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado Pineda echoed that and said residents needed to remain on alert due to anticipated damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure.Pineda said 21 shelters had been opened for residents, and as of Thursday morning nearly 1,300 people had taken advantage of the protection and care there.She continued to urge people to follow the recommendations of officials and to stay alert.Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission said it had deployed specialized technical personnel to address power outages across the region and would begin to make repairs when conditions were safe enough to do so.7 FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT HURRICANESBeing a major hurricane, Erick will set the record for being the strongest June cyclone to make landfall along Mexico’s Pacific coast, triggering some memories of Hurricane Otis in 2023.Otis was the strongest hurricane to ever impact Acapulco, with sustained winds of 165 mph, but due to the cyclone’s unpredictable nature, many were caught off guard by its fury.Mexican authorities reported more than 50 deaths and damage estimates that eclipsed $10 billion from the late-season disaster.