Hurricane Erick slammed into Mexico’s Oaxaca state as a dangerous Category 3 storm Thursday morning, unleashing powerful winds at the coast and heavy rains that have caused deadly flooding in the region.

Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified over the last 24 hours, growing into a powerful Category 4 storm but weakening slightly before making landfall.

PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Mexico -- Southern Mexico’s Pacific coast was braced for a Thursday morning impact with the approach of Hurricane Erick, which was upgraded to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 early Thursday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.