After entering the Gulf of Mexico , Alex became a hurricane and struck northeast Mexico ; it was the first hurricane in June since Hurricane Allison in 1995 . After entering the Gulf of Mexico , Alex became very large and encountered conditions favorable for slow development . Early on June 30 , the cyclone attained hurricane status as it approached northeastern Mexico , the first June hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Hurricane Allison in 1995 ; the storm rapidly intensified just off the coast of Tamaulipas , and struck near Soto la Marina as a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale .