By Aida Pelaez-Fernandez MEXICO CITY/PUERTO ESCONDIDO (Reuters) -Hurricane Erick weakened after slamming into Mexico's southern Pacific coast as a major hurricane on Thursday, leaving a trail of damaged businesses,

Hurricane Erick had strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it approached the coast but weakened to a Category 3 storm before making landfall on Thursday.

PUERTO ESCONDIDO, State of Mexico — Powerful Hurricane Erick made landfall in Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca early Thursday as a major hurricane before moving inland and weakening as it dumped heavy rain, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.