Hurricane Erick had strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it approached the coast but weakened to a Category 2 storm before making landfall on Thursday.

Authorities in southern Mexico were still assessing damage and watching rising rivers Friday as rain from the remnants of Hurricane Erick doused the region. Torrential rains over steep coastal mountains and the landslides and flooding they could generate became the ongoing concern for officials after Erick dissipated following a landfall early Thursday on a sparsely populated stretch of coast.

Erick weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall as a major hurricane on Mexico's southern Pacific coast on Thursday, leaving flooded streets, damaged boats and buildings in Oaxaca as authorities warned of dangerous rains.