Hurricane Erick made landfall in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca early Thursday after being downgraded from a Category 4 to a Category 3 storm, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.The center of the hurricane was located about 20 miles (30 kilometers) east of Punta Maldonado with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph).

Doubling in strength in less than a day and expected to further grow further, Hurricane Erick is chugging through the ideal environment to power up quickly as it approaches Mexico's southern Pacific C

The storm is expected to bring “life-threatening” rainfall, flooding and storm surges, according to the National Hurricane Center.