Cat 1 Hurricane Katia making landfall in Mexico

Forecasters say Hurricane Katia is making landfall on Mexico's Gulf coast as a Category 1 storm.

Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Katia's maximum sustained winds have dropped to 75 mph as it hits land north of Tecolutla, in Veracruz state.

Forecasters have predicted damaging winds, drenching rains and a dangerous storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico.

Mexican emergency workers are also scrambling to respond to an 8.1-magnitude earthquake that struck off the country's southern Pacific coast late Thursday, killing at least 61 people.

Katia was upgraded to a hurricane on Wednesday, just minutes after the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Jose had formed in the open Atlantic, far from land and well east of Hurricane Irma. Jose has now grown to a powerful Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph.

Katia is moving west-southwest at 7 mph.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.