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

Powerful Hurricane Erick made landfall in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The hurricane's center was located about 20 miles (30 kilometers) east of Punta Maldonado.

Erick was nearing landfall along the western coast of Mexico as a Category 4 hurricane early Thursday, as forecasters warned it had "extremely destructive winds near its core."