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.

Erick was expected to reach hurricane strength as it neared land Wednesday. The cyclone was centered about 180 miles (290 kilometers) south-southeast of Puerto Ángel, Mexico, at 3 a.m. CST (0800 GMT), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.