Authorities in southern Mexico were still assessing damage and watching rising rivers as rain from the remnants of Hurricane Erick doused the region.

Powerful Hurricane Erick made landfall in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca early Thursday, the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.

Hurricane Erick lashed communities along the southwestern coast of Mexico on Thursday with destructive wind and torrential rain as it made landfall, raising fears of life-threatening flooding and mudslides as terrified residents hunkered down in homes and shelters for safety.