Hurricane Erick strengthened in the Pacific Ocean and could become a major hurricane before striking Mexico, the National Hurricane Center warned.

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 Coast.

Hurricane Erick slammed into Mexico’s Oaxaca state as a dangerous Category 3 storm Thursday morning, unleashing powerful winds along the coast and spreading heavy rain over the region.