A resident tries to make his way through a flooded street in Chetumal, southeastern Mexico, in the Yucatan peninsula, yesterday. Hurricane Dean crashed into the Caribbean coast of Mexico, yesterday as the strongest hurricane to hit land in the Atlantic region since 1988. - AP

CHETUMAL, Mexico (Reuters):

Hurricane Dean slammed into Mexico's Caribbean coast yesterday, flooding streets, toppling trees in beach resorts and blowing the roofs off houses, but there were no immediate reports of deaths.

Water surged down a main street at thigh level in Chetumal, a city of about 150,000 people near where 'Dean' made landfall. Broken trees and street lights lay strewn around.

After killing 11 people on its rampage through the Caribbean, 'Dean' was a category-five hurricane - the strongest possible - when it tore into Mexico, landing around the cruise ship port of Costa Maya, near the border with Belize.

The storm then lost power over land and was downgraded to a category two forecasters warned that roaring winds and rains were still a threat as it moved toward Mexican oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico yesterday.

Uncomfortable night

Tourist resorts such as Playa del Carmen and Cancun, devastated by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, appeared to escape major damage as 'Dean' moved quickly across the Yucatan Peninsula.

"No human losses have been reported until now," President Felipe Calderon said.

Litter and leaves were scattered on the streets in Playa del Carmen, where tired tourists emerged at first light after an uncomfortable night in a hotel converted to a shelter for 400 people.

"I didn't sleep, I had backache," said Italian tourist Massimiani Luca, 31. "There were nine of us in this room, eight in that room," he said.

The Government of Quintana Roo state, which took the hit from Dean head on, said it was unaware of any deaths.

Tens of thousands of tourists fled Cancun over the weekend before 'Dean' crashed into the area, famous for white beaches, crystal clear waters and Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza.<