The storm threatened to unleash destructive winds near where the eye crashes ashore, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters said.

The hurricane was downgraded from a Category 4 to a Category 3 storm as it landed, with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph.

The hurricane had been a Category 4 storm as it bore down from the eastern Pacific toward Mexico. The authorities ordered evacuations in Oaxaca and Guerrero.