 Later , the hurricane moved across the Caribbean Sea , causing light damage in the sparsely @-@ populated region of the eastern Yucatán Peninsula . After reaching the Gulf of Mexico , Hilda strengthened to reach peak winds of 120 mph ( 195 km / h ) late on September 18 . Before the hurricane moved ashore , there was residual flooding in Tampico from earlier Hurricane Gladys . Hilda struck the city early on September 19 , with gusts estimated at 150 mph ( 240 km / h ) . The storm dropped heavy rainfall that flooded 90 % of Tampico , while its strong winds damaged half of the homes , leaving 15 @,@ 000 homeless . Throughout Mexico , 11 @,@ 432 people were directly affected by Hilda . Overall , the storm killed 300 people and caused over $ 120 million . Additionally , the <unk> of Hilda caused minor flooding in southern Texas , particularly in <unk> . 
